Today, the US Commerce Department announced that, in line with President Trump’s executive order, all downloads of WeChat and TikTok will be banned beginning on Sunday. President Trump previously signed two executive orders against the Chinese-owned social media platforms in early August, claiming that the apps posed a threat to US national security. The reasoning behind labeling the applications as a national emergency lies in the information and communications technology and services supply chain, as well as the suspicion that TikTok is gathering information on users and providing it to the Chinese government.
The order, which was signed on August 14, allows ByteDance 45 days to sell its business in the US. The second-order prohibited any transaction that is related to WeChat with any person, subject to the jurisdiction of the US. The applications will also be removed from the Apple and Google Play stores, however, existing users will be able to keep using the apps if previously installed. Updates to the apps will also be banned from being released in the US.
Read More: US Commerce Department to ban TikTok and WeChat downloads starting Sept. 20