Apple drops WhatsApp, Threads from China App Store on govt order: reports

Apple has removed Meta's WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in China on orders from the country's internet regulator, US media reported Friday.

Mainland China has some of the world's most extensive internet censorship, with web users unable to access everything from Google to many foreign apps without workarounds such as a virtual private network (VPN).

"We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree," Apple said in a statement, according to Bloomberg.