This archive report was first published on 7 August 2020.
US President Donald Trump Takes Action Against TikTok ¶
On August 7, 2020, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to ban transactions with TikTok's parent company ByteDance, citing national security concerns.
The order, which takes effect in 45 days, prohibits any US transaction with ByteDance, including the transfer of funds or the provision of services.
TikTok has denied accusations that it is controlled by or shares data with the Chinese government, but the US president has expressed concerns that the app's data collection could allow China to track US government employees and gather personal information for blackmail or corporate espionage.
Trump has also issued a follow-up executive order to ban WeChat, an app owned by China-based tech giant Tencent, citing similar national security concerns.
ByteDance and Tencent have declined to comment on the orders.
Microsoft has said it is in talks to acquire TikTok's US operations, and Trump has expressed support for the sale as long as the US government receives a 'substantial portion' of the sales price.
However, Trump has warned that he will ban TikTok in the United States from September 15 if the sale is not completed.
TikTok has become a popular social media app, with up to 80 million active monthly users in the US, but it has also faced criticism for its data collection practices and its alleged ties to the Chinese government.
India has already blocked TikTok, as well as other Chinese apps, and Australia is considering banning the app as well.
Trump has been waging a trade war against China and has blamed the country for the global coronavirus pandemic, which has crippled the American economy and jeopardized Trump's re-election prospects.
