TechScape: No WhatsApp in China, no TikTok in the US, and the return of Llama

In this week's newsletter: While Apple removed the platform from App Stores without a squeak of public protest, its battle with the EU rages on. Plus, how a ban in the US could change TikTok everywhere

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Another day, another set of troubles for Apple's App Store. This time, the company had bowed to orders from the Chinese state to remove WhatsApp and Threads, two of the last Meta apps still available in the country.

From our story:

Apple confirmed it had withdrawn the two apps - both owned by Meta, also the owner of Facebook - under instruction from the Cyberspace Administration of China, which regulates and censors China's highly restricted internet and online content.

The Cyberspace Administration of China ordered the removal of these apps from the China storefront based on their national security concerns," Apple said in an emailed statement to Reuters. We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree."

The House of Representatives voted 360 to 58 on the updated divest-or-ban [TikTok] bill that could lead to the first time ever that the US government has passed a law to shut down an entire social media platform.

The Senate is expected to vote on the bill next week and Joe Biden has said he will sign the legislation.