Apple removed WhatsApp and Threads from its app store in China on Friday after the countrys government ordered it to do so, the same week House lawmakers revived legislation that could ban TikTok in the U.S.

Apple said Beijings internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration, ordered it to remove the apps, citing national security concerns, according to The Wall Street Journal .

We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree, a spokesperson for the company told the Journal.

Other Meta apps, including Facebook and Instagram, were still available, Reuters reported , as were other popular apps including YouTube and X.