Trump Takes Further Action to Ban Tik Tok and WeChat from U.S App Stores
Photographer: Ivan Abreu/Bloomberg via Getty Images
After previous oppositions against the Chinese social media apps, the Trump Administration announced their executive orders to prohibit the U.S from downloading Tik Tok and WeChat, which would take effect on September 20. Banning Tik Tok downloads and transactions on WeChat would be essential to ensure national security in the U.S, officials said.
The order is coming from the Department of Commerce that will put an end to all interactions between the U.S and ByteDance, Tik Tok’s parent company. Data security was a concern previously brought up by Trump in his original order in August, which sparked a lawsuit from Tik Tok claiming that statement lacked evidence.
“The spread in the United States of mobile applications developed and owned by companies in the People’s Republic of China (China) continues to threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States,” Trump’s original statement read on August 6.
Banning these apps from the store is only the first step, a more thorough plan is set to take place in November. The way the new system will work is that the ban would prevent any new U.S downloads or updates for Tik Tok and WeChat would lose all of their functions. However, users who already had Tik Tok before the order would be able to use their account until November 12.
Most popular for teenagers posting dance videos or short comedy skits, Tik Tok amassed a huge audience, and the news of the ban divided the internet. While some individuals shrugged at the idea of Tik Tok getting banned, other creators didn’t feel the same. The most popular creator on the app, Charlie D’Amelio announced in a video that she would be using a similar platform, Triller. More users are taking the same initiative in preparation for the fateful day.
Why is this a big deal?
It may not affect the apps early on but as time goes on they need to be updated. Due to the ban, these apps would become difficult to use without updates, making obsolete in the U.S. For WeChat users, the ban prevents the use of transactions, thus monetary interactions between U.S and China would become impossible through the app. However, the idea that the president is using his executive power against an app is what is making people feel uneasy.
Tik Tok is currently working with Oracle, their technology partner in charge of U.S operations, to work out a deal before November.