Until now, chat programs like WhatsApp could only be used in a roundabout way in China. Following a decision by the government, various messengers can no longer be found in the Apple App Store.
The Chinese state and party leadership has had several foreign messenger apps removed from the Chinese app store. Apple was forced to delete, among other things, WhatsApp, which belongs to the US Facebook group Meta. The US company Apple said you have to follow the laws of the countries in which you are active.
The messengers Signal, Telegram and the short message service Threads have also disappeared from the Chinese app store for a few days – and can therefore no longer be downloaded on iPhones registered in China. The Chinese Internet Regulatory Authority cited national security when issuing the order, according to media reports.
Like almost all non-Chinese apps, WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram could previously only be used with a VPN – i.e. with services that pretend that the user is in another country. Other apps – which can only be used with a VPN – such as X, Instagram, Facebook and Facebook Messenger are still available in the Chinese app store.
Isolated internet access
China’s Internet is one of the most censored in the world and is almost completely isolated from the rest of the world. The communist state and party leadership controls what information is available – as well as who writes or posts what – and censors this if necessary.
Because of the lockdown, the vast majority in China only use Chinese apps, such as the WeChat messenger. Unlike WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram, WeChat messages are not end-to-end encrypted and accessible to government authorities.
Benjamin Eyssel, ARD Beijing, tagesschau, April 22, 2024 7:37 a.m