Apple on Friday (Apr 19) announced that it had removed Platforms’ WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in China. This, the company said, was done in compliance with an order by the Chinese government, which reportedly cited national security concerns.

Even as Threads and WhatsApp were removed, other Meta apps, including Messenger and Instagram, were still available on the Apple app store on Friday morning in China, reported Reuters.

This removal targeting American tech services as per Bloomberg comes as the US government takes steps towards banning TikTok owned by China’s ByteDance in China. US politicians, too, have cited national security concerns as the reason behind the push to either sell TikTok to a non-Chinese owner or be banned in the US market.

In a statement to Reuters, Apple said that “The Cyberspace Administration of China ordered the removal of these apps from the China storefront based on their national security concerns.”

“We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree,” added the tech giant.

The exact cause of security concern for the Chinese government was not clear at the time this report was published.

However, citing people with expertise in China’s tech industry, Reuters reports that the government order could be related to a new rule from last August. This rule requires all apps available in the country to register with the government or risk removal.

The deadline for companies to complete registration was March end, and the regulations went into effect starting April 1st.

iPhone maker Apple, in its statement, said that WhatsApp and Threads are still available for download on its other storefronts elsewhere.

Tech-savvy Chinese consumers, as per Reuters, are still able to download the removed apps from Apple’s App Stores in other countries if they have an iCloud account there.

(With inputs from agencies)