EXCLUSIVE-Trump to block U.S. downloads of TikTok, WeChat on Sunday

[kovalchuk71]

It will be nice to get a break from attention seeking idiots for a while (until someone creates a US based app). If it truly is a threat to national security, then I’m 100% on board.

WASHINGTON, Sept 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. Commerce Department plans to issue an order Friday that will bar people in the United States from downloading Chinese-owned messaging app WeChat and video-sharing app TikTok starting on September 20, three officials told Reuters.

The officials said the ban on new U.S. downloads of TikTok could be still rescinded by President Donald Trump before it takes effect late Sunday as TikTok owner ByteDance races to clinch an agreement over the fate of its U.S. operations.

ByteDance has been talks with Oracle Corp and others to create a new company, TikTok Global, that aims to address U.S. concerns about the security of its users’ data. ByteDance still needs Trump’s approval to stave off a U.S. ban.

The Commerce Department order will “deplatform” the two apps in the United States and bar Apple Inc’s app store, Alphabet Inc’s Google Play and others from offering the apps on any platform “that can be reached from within the United States,” a senior Commerce official told Reuters.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not yet been made public.

The order will not ban U.S. companies from doing businesses on WeChat outside the United States, which will be welcome news to U.S. firms like Walmart and Starbucks that use WeChat’s embedded ‘mini-app’ programs to facilitate transactions and engage consumers in China.

The order will not bar transactions with WeChat-owner Tencent Holdings’ other businesses, including its online gaming operations and will not prohibit Apple, Google or others from offering TikTok or WeChat apps anywhere outside the United States.

The bans are in response to a pair of executive orders issued by Trump on Aug. 6 that gave the Commerce Department 45 days to determine what transactions to block from the apps he deemed pose a national security threat. That deadline expires on Sunday.

Commerce Department officials said they were taking the extraordinary step because of the risks the apps’ data collection poses. China and the companies have denied U.S. user data is collected for spying.

In a statement to Reuters, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said “we have taken significant action to combat China’s malicious collection of American citizens’ personal data, while promoting our national values, democratic rules-based norms, and aggressive enforcement of U.S. laws and regulations.”

The order is set to be published at 8:45 a.m. EDT (1245 GMT) on Friday, the officials said.

POPULAR APPS
The Trump administration has ramped up efforts to purge “untrusted” Chinese apps from U.S. digital networks and has called TikTok and WeChat “significant threats.”

TikTok has 100 million users in the United States and is especially popular among younger Americans.

WeChat has had an average of 19 million daily active users in the United States, analytics firms Apptopia said in early August. It is popular among Chinese students, ex-pats and some Americans who have personal or business relationships in China.

WeChat is an all-in-one mobile app that combines services similar to ********, WhatsApp, Instagram and Venmo. The app is an essential part of daily life for many in China and boasts more than 1 billion users.

The Commerce Department will not seek to compel people in the United States to remove the apps or stop using them but will not allow updates or new downloads. “We are aiming at a top corporate level. We’re not going to go out after the individual users,” one Commerce official said.

Over time, officials said, the lack of updates will degrade the apps usability.

“The expectation is that people will find alternative ways to do these actions,” a senior official said. “We expect the market to act and there will be more secure apps that will fill in these gaps that Americans can trust and that the United States government won’t have to take similar actions against.”

Commerce is also barring additional technical transactions with WeChat starting Sunday that will significantly reduce the usability and functionality of the app in the United States.

The order bars data hosting within the United States for WeChat, content delivery services and networks that can increase functionality and internet transit or peering services.

“What immediately is going to happen is users are going to experience a lag or lack of functionality,” a senior Commerce official said of WeChat users. “It may still be usable but it is not going to be as functional as it was.” There may be sporadic outages as well, the official said.

Commerce will bar the same set of technical transactions for TikTok, but that will not take effect until Nov. 12 to give the company additional time to see if ByteDance can reach a deal for its U.S. operations. The official said TikTok U.S. users would not see “a major difference” in the app’s performance until Nov 12.

Commerce will not penalize people who use TikTok or WeChat in the United States. The order does not bar data storage within the United States for WeChat or TikTok.

Some Americans may find workarounds. There is nothing that would bar an American from traveling to a foreign country and downloading either app, or potentially using a virtual private network and a desktop client, officials conceded. (Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Chris Sanders and Lincoln Feast.)

[FoxMcCocks]

He really doesn’t want to win in November lmao

[kovalchuk71]

He really doesn’t want to win in November lmao

I didn’t realize young tweens and teens had the right to vote. Plus, the adults using TikTok weren’t voting for Trump in the first place.

[DeshaunWatson]

Thank u Jesus. Get a job, kids.

[mikebadg3]

He really doesn’t want to win in November lmao

rent free dumb ass

[kovalchuk71]

Thank u Jesus. Get a job, kids.

Don’t worry brah, there will be a US version soon enough.

[JoshSP1985]

New downloads only so will it work on existing devices? BRB selling my old phone with Tiktok loaded for 10,000

[JoshSP1985]

100 million US users? Holy fuk that's an insane % of the population.

[Random260]

...... Only good thing is Zuck will getting the market share.

Why are conservatives on the wrong side of Tech fights. They are lambasting Zuck while allowing liberal Reddit + twitter to get off Scott free.


Once Conservatives fall down the trap of getting ******** + Instagram cancelled.

We going to be left with Reddit + Twitter controlling everything...

[kovalchuk71]

New downloads only so will it work on existing devices? BRB selling my old phone with Tiktok loaded for 10,000

Fuk, I might go download it for this reason alone.

[MinisterOfLust]

I didn’t realize young tweens and teens had the right to vote. Plus, the adults using TikTok weren’t voting for Trump in the first place.

How do you that the adults aren't voting for Trump?

[chaunce54]

Thank u Jesus. Get a job, kids.

But muh social media influencer...

[Mark1T]

He really doesn’t want to win in November lmao

I have never once visited TikTok much less downloaded the app. If TikTok is a major reason why anyone voted against Trump, they have serious mental issues.

Fuk China.

[FoxMcCocks]

I have never once visited TikTok much less downloaded the app. If TikTok is a major reason why anyone voted against Trump, they have serious mental issues.

Fuk China.

OK boomer

[Random260]

Can't wait for Trump to build his USA firewall. Government approved apps only. Put some more regulations on the internet pls.

[128]

New downloads only so will it work on existing devices? BRB selling my old phone with Tiktok loaded for 10,000

No updates though will mean the app will be degrade over time

[BFast55]

I didn’t realize young tweens and teens had the right to vote. Plus, the adults using TikTok weren’t voting for Trump in the first place.

This
Also phuck the CCP.

[JoshSP1985]

Tik Tok actually have quite a bit of Trump support on it. Also a bunch of black creators that are pro Trump.

[CrimsonSteel]

All the Marxist *******s who have been burning books, getting people cancelled, and masturbating furiously every time something gets censored, will likely frame THIS...the banning of an app turning children into autistic narcissistics...as a parallel to Nazi Germany. Just watch. All of their constant moralizing and sanctimonious censorship was FINE, but this will set them off.

[puzzycrookz]

Trump winning votes with this

Oracle stocks to tank

CCP BTFO trying to control censorship and propaganda to teens

Guy who thinks this will lose votes for Trump is a *******

[kovalchuk71]

All the Marxist *******s who have been burning books, getting people cancelled, and masturbating furiously every time something gets censored, will likely frame THIS...the banning of an app turning children into autistic narcissistics...as a parallel to Nazi Germany. Just watch. All of their constant moralizing and sanctimonious censorship was FINE, but this will set them off.

I’ve already seen it. I regularly visit MacRumors.com. It took 10 posts for someone to comment (almost to a “T”) what you posted above. These people are unhinged. I had to stop reading posts because I could feel the IQ points leaking from my ears.

Tik Tok actually have quite a bit of Trump support on it. Also a bunch of black creators that are pro Trump.

Sure, but if we’re talking percentages, I’m sure it’s fairly low.

[CaliSuperSport]

He really doesn’t want to win in November lmao

fukin retard, lmao

You're stacking the L's early today my guy.

[z4v4]

But muh social media influencer...

Dude, you spend all day and night, everyday on social media, son.

INB4 posting on message boards like r/p is NOT social media. It's just a media format where people can discuss things socially.

[Trapstar4.4]

Trump winning votes with this

Oracle stocks to tank

CCP BTFO trying to control censorship and propaganda to teens

Guy who thinks this will lose votes for Trump is a *******

sheeeit, if that were true then we would have placed the deadline for a complete ban BEFORE the election. that ban is set a week AFTER the election.

and pls dont come up with some cope excuse like, "oh he wants to give them time to work a deal" because an extra week doesnt do anything

[niospecv]

IG already has "reels" which is their version of TikTok.

[chaunce54]

Dude, you spend all day and night, everyday on social media, son.

INB4 posting on message boards like r/p is NOT social media. It's just a media format where people can discuss things socially.

Says the dweeb with over 20,000 posts in three years...

[MyLastSerenade]

Don’t worry brah, there will be a US version soon enough.

Like Vine?

[OptimistPrime11]

IG already has "reels" which is their version of TikTok.

Yeah it's horrible. It's girls doing the same stupid dance moves over and over and over again.

It is just incredibly stupid. I get repulsed seeing it.

[luckyboy23]

Yeah it's horrible. It's girls doing the same stupid dance moves over and over and over again.

It is just incredibly stupid. I get repulsed seeing it.

Attention whoring lvl. 10000. They all do the same **** over and over for some internet likes.

Dopamine is one hell of a chemical.

[z4v4]

Says the dweeb with over 20,000 posts in three years...

Except, I'm not the one whining about social media, and I actually golf every day and go to the range several times a week. You? Morning, noon, night - rinse and repeat. Learn to type and think faster, imo.