U.S. TO START BLOCKING TIKTOK AND WECHAT APP DOWNLOADS
The United States will begin blocking the distribution of the Chinese apps TikTok and WeChat starting Sunday (September 20, 2020).
The Department of Commerce said in a news release U.S. mobile platforms will be prohibited from distributing the apps, meaning new downloads will be blocked.
WeChat faces a full ban Sunday.
But TikTok will not disappear entirely Sunday. The app will still work for at least a few more weeks. Commerce said that crucial services that TikTok relies on, such as internet hosting and transit services, will not be prohibited until November 12, 2020.
The statement gives TikTok a reprieve as it continues to negotiate a deal in hopes of staving off the full ban.
The apps were the subject of an executive order from President Donald Trump in early August in which Trump said the apps posed a threat to national security.