Apple, one of the world's largest IT companies, has shut down religion-related apps, such as the Qur'an, an Islamic scripture, one after another in China, foreign media such as BBC and Associated Press reported.
The BBC reported that Apple recently removed one of the world's most popular Quran apps from the Chinese App Store, after receiving a request from the Chinese government.
This app called 'Quran Majid' is used by millions of Muslims and has been available for download from the Apple App Store anywhere in the world.
The BBC said the Chinese government did not make a statement, but said the app had been removed because it introduced religious books that are illegal under Chinese law.
PDMS, the company that created the app, said: "According to Apple, Quran Majid has been removed because it contains content that requires additional documentation from Chinese authorities," the BBC reported.
It also analyzed that the removal of the app was related to China's oppression of the Uighur, a Muslim minority.
Apple declined to comment on the matter.
However, Apple introduced its human rights guidelines, saying, "It is obligatory to follow the laws of each country, but sometimes there are complex issues in which we and governments do not agree."
The Associated Press reported that Amazon's audio book service 'Audible' and the phone app for reading Islamic and Christian Bibles have been removed from the Chinese App Store.
Audible said it had removed its apps from the Chinese Apple Store last month, saying it was "due to a permit requirement," and said the companies that made these apps also said they had removed them at the request of the Chinese government.
The Chinese government said, "We have been promoting and supporting the development of the Internet. At the same time, Internet development must also comply with Chinese laws and regulations," the Associated Press reported.
The removal of Muslim and Christian apps is the latest example of the Chinese government's tightened regulatory impact on internet companies.
U.S. tech giants tend to easily accommodate the Chinese government's censorship demands, conscious of the Chinese market, which accounts for a significant portion of their sales.
Previously, Apple caused controversy by removing a virtual private network (VPN) app from the App Store, a Chinese overseas Internet bypass program.
According to a recent New York Times report, Apple has effectively transferred the data management rights of Chinese customers to Chinese authorities.
It is said that Apple voluntarily deleted apps related to dissidents identified by the Chinese government or fired employees who failed to filter them.