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Donald Trump has been threatening to ban TikTok from operating in the country and now it seems his executive order will, in fact, go into effect this coming weekend.
“The Commerce Department plans to restrict access to TikTok and WeChat on Sunday as the Trump administration’s executive orders against the two apps are set to take effect. The Department said Friday that as of Sunday, any moves to distribute or maintain WeChat or TikTok on an app store will be prohibited. Apple and Google didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment,” CNN wrote in an article this morning, adding “While users who have already downloaded the apps may be able to continue using the software, the restrictions mean updated versions of the apps cannot be downloaded.”
More guidelines have been laid out, but TikTok users won’t be affected until mid-November. Click here to read the full extent of the Commerce Department’s impending prohibitions on the applications. “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,” U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement. “At the President’s direction, 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.”
TikTok previously went on record to say it planned on suing the Trump administration. “The Executive Order issued by the Administration on August 6, 2020 has the potential to strip the rights of that community without any evidence to justify such an extreme action, and without any due process. We strongly disagree with the Administration’s position that TikTok is a national security threat and we have articulated these objections previously.” TikTok explained. If you missed the company’s rebuttal, tune in here.
