News Summary

• China dictates what it allows on its country's internet and App StoreApple has removed Meta-owned apps WhatsApp and Threads from the China App Store after government officials claimed national security concerns.
• The App Store culling continues in China after 30,000 games, then an additional 94,000 games, 44,000 apps, then 100 ChatGPT-like apps were removed over the past four years.
• China's cyberspace officials claim the apps needed to be removed based on national security concerns.
• The Meta-owned Threads launched in the country in 2023 and has been available since, but WhatsApp has seemingly been blocked from use since at least 2017.
• That means there isn't an easy way to access these apps, even with a VPN.Wesley Hilliard served ten years as a Nuclear Power Electrician in the US Navy, then jumped careers in 2019.
• The government in China is the driving force behind these app removals, but a more significant App Store removal took place on Thursday night.