• About
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Write for us
No Result
View All Result
Friday, January 22, 2021
THE MILLENNIAL SOURCE
  • World
  • US
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Profiles
  • Lifestyle
    • Food & Travel
    • Tech & Money
    • Health
    • Entertainment
  • Newsletter
TMS
No Result
View All Result
Home WORLD

Trump bans business with TikTok owner ByteDance and WeChat’s Tencent

byThe Millennial Source
August 7, 2020
in WORLD
Reading Time: 3 minute read
Trump orders transaction ban with ByteDance to begin September 20
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linkedin



United States President Donald Trump signed a pair of executive orders on Thursday banning US residents from doing business with Chinese companies ByteDance Ltd, owner of viral video app TikTok, and Tencent, which operates popular Chinese messenger app WeChat. 

Citing national security concerns over the large amount of US user data filtered through the apps, Trump gave US firms 45 days to sever ties with ByteDance and Tencent. The two Chinese companies would also be prohibited from “any transaction … by any person, or with respect to any property subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.”

Trump warned the apps may be used to spread disinformation campaigns that are politically beneficial for the Chinese Communist Party, and the United States “must take aggressive action against the owners of TikTok to protect our national security.” 

He also stated that WeChat “automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users” and, in particular, the information of Chinese nationals visiting the US “thereby allowing the Chinese Communist Party a mechanism for keeping tabs on Chinese citizens who may be enjoying the benefits of a free society for the first time in their lives.”

The executive orders were signed only one day after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced an expansion of the Clean Network program, which aims to prevent various “untrusted” Chinese apps and telecoms firms from procuring sensitive personal and proprietary data.

Trump issued ByteDance with an ultimatum earlier this week to either sell their US operations to an American company by September 15, or risk being banned. ByteDance is currently in talks with several companies, with Microsoft Corp. as the frontrunner to possibly purchase the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand operations of the app.

WeChat also at risk

While TikTok has amassed almost 2 billion downloads worldwide and more than 165 million times in the US, WeChat does not have the same international popularity. 

It is, however, extremely common in China, with over 1 billion users, and is widely considered to be the main social messaging messaging app in a country that has banned other social media and messaging platforms, including Whatsapp and Facebook. 

The US bar on this service would be detrimental to Chinese expats living abroad who use WeChat to communicate with their family and friends in their home country as well as business contacts operating between the US and China.

WeChat’s parent company Tencent has also invested in many US companies such as Tesla, Inc. and Uber Technologies, Inc.

Popular video games like PUBG Mobile and League of Legends are also operated by Tencent. 

Given the long history of cooperation between the US and the companies in question, some are questioning the logic behind the suddenly hardened attitude. 

The order calls TikTok a “national security threat,” said Derek Scissors, an expert on Sino-US economic relations at the American Enterprise Institute think tank.

“Either we’ve missed the threat for three years or it just became one and yet we are waiting 45 days.” 

Have a tip or story? Get in touch with our reporters at [email protected]

Like TMS? Subscribe to our free daily newsletter

Related

Tags: AsiaNorth AmericaPoliticsShort read
Share1TweetShare

Latest Posts

President Biden’s inauguration was as much about what didn't happen as what did

President Biden’s inauguration was as much about what didn’t happen as what did

January 21, 2021
Janet Yellen calls for “big” stimulus under Biden administration as US recovery slows

Janet Yellen calls for “big” stimulus under Biden administration as US recovery slows

January 21, 2021
Telegram is becoming a new haven for QAnon, even as Trump leaves office

Telegram is becoming a new haven for QAnon, even as Trump leaves office

January 21, 2021

Biden’s first 100 days, explained

January 20, 2021

“Economic anxiety” is an insufficient explanation for Donald Trump’s presidency

January 20, 2021

What is Poshmark, the secondhand retail app going public?

January 20, 2021

Will a Democratic Senate abolish the filibuster?

January 19, 2021

What is Biden’s plan to vaccinate America?

January 19, 2021

What consequences are Trump supporters facing for the attack on the Capitol?

January 19, 2021
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Write for us

© 2020 The Millennial Source Ltd.

No Result
View All Result
  • World
  • US
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Profiles
  • Lifestyle
    • Food & Travel
    • Tech & Money
    • Health
    • Entertainment
  • Newsletter

© 2020 The Millennial Source Ltd.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

The Millennial Source
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.