On Thursday, Donald Trump issued two executive orders aimed at banning TikTok and WeChat, saying the US must take “aggressive action” against the China-based social media platforms in the interest of national security.
The move would effectively require TikTok and WeChat to shut down in the US or find new owners within 45 days. Trump claims the apps are a security concern because they are based in China and thus prone to data requests from the Chinese government. Microsoft is already reportedly in talks to purchase TikTok for billions.
But questions remain about what that ban would look like, and how its effects will play out. Here are the key concerns:What exactly did Trump’s order say?Trump’s executive order stated that apps from China “threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States” and that after 45 days the US will prohibit “any transaction by any person” with ByteDance Ltd, the parent company of TikTok.The broad language leaves a lot up to interpretation: it could simply prevent US advertisers from buying ads on the platform. But a senior administration official suggested even downloading the app would be considered a transaction, according to the Washington Post.Can Trump really ban TikTok?The short answer is no, said Hank Schless a security manager at Lookout.“It would be impossible to actively delete TikTok from every device in the United States,” he said. “It would be up to Google, Apple and Microsoft, as the purveyors of the operating systems, to enforce a ban and ensure users delete TikTok.”Those companies are not likely to comply with su ..Support the originator by clicking the read the rest link below.
