TikTok was recently banned in India along with other Chinese apps. Now Trump administration’s executive has ordered ban china based apps TikTok and WeChat in the US. The Commerce Department said on Friday that both apps will be banned on Sunday.
The ban directly affects the Google Play store as well as the Apple App store, however, there isn’t any response from either company. The apps will continue to work for users who have already have it installed in their smartphones. But, it’s just a matter of days before new updates for TikTok and WeChat rolls out and Apps stops working.
According to the Commerce Department, TikTok and WeChat are very big threats to US national security and the economy. Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said “Today’s actions prove once again that President Trump will do everything in his power to guarantee our national security and protect Americans from the threats of the Chinese Communist Party.”
WeChat and TikTok are both accused of theft of user’s personal data like location history, internet browsing history, and more. For some very similar reasons, both apps are also banned in India.
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TikTok completely disagrees with the Commerce Department’s decision. They said “Our community of 100 million US users love TikTok because it’s a home for entertainment, self-expression, and connection. We’re committed to protecting their privacy and safety as we continue working to bring joy to families and meaningful careers to those who create on our platform.”
WeChat has called the restriction “unfortunate”. They are currently reviewing the restriction and working on a solution to continue serving WeChat users in the US.
The Trump administration could take this further as they have plans to restrict ByteDance and Oracle(Chinese technology companies). The ban will also apply to the apps which give workarounds to the TikTok and WeChat.
