This archive report was first published on 7 August 2020.
On August 6, 2020, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting two popular Chinese apps, TikTok and WeChat, citing national security concerns.
The order, which takes effect in 45 days, bars ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, from conducting business transactions with other American companies.
The Trump administration has deemed apps from Chinese software companies national security threats, warning that they could put Americans' privacy in danger.
According to the executive order, 'This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans' personal and proprietary information — potentially allowing China to track the locations of federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage.'
TikTok has denied giving information to the Chinese government, stating that its U.S. user information is stored in the U.S. and backed up in Singapore.
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Wang Wenbin described the Trump administration's actions as 'typical hegemonic behavior that runs against market principles and international trade rules.'
The executive order is a significant blow to TikTok, which has gained massive global popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the app faces a potential ban, its parent company, ByteDance, is exploring a deal to sell its U.S. operations to Microsoft.
However, experts have raised concerns that the proposed deal may be subject to illegal conditions, including a requirement that some of the proceeds go to the U.S. Treasury.
