The White House will begin blocking app downloads of TikTok and WeChat starting this Sunday, Sept. 20, Tech Crunch reports.
The U.S. Commerce Department will enforce shutdowns of TikTok and WeChat, after President Donald Trump announced plans in August to ban the apps in this country amid security concerns.
Despite the ban on TikTok downloads this Sunday, a November 12 reprieve gives Chinese-owned TikTok until after the election to complete a complicated purchase deal with Oracle, Walmart and their partners without an interruption in service.
According to Businessinsider.com, “Oracle would own a minority stake in TikTok of less than 20%, while Walmart is also expected to take a stake in the popular social media company.”
Walmart CEO Doug McMillion would likely have a seat on a new US board of directors for TikTok’s American operations, CNBC reported.
“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 Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross 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.”
