TikTok and WeChat US ban to come into force on Sunday


TikTok and WeChat will both be banned in the US from Sunday 20 September, the US Department of Commerce has confirmed.

Following a pair of executive orders signed by President Donald Trump on 6 August, the ByteDance and Tencent-owned apps will be removed from app stores in the US, while the WeChat app will no longer be allowed to transfer or process payments within the country.

In addition, from Sunday, WeChat will no longer be able to host its app, deliver content, or use its code to develop any services within the US. This part of the ruling won’t apply to TikTok until 12 November.

“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,” said US Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. “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 US laws and regulations.”