Gaining widespread media attention back in August, Donald Trump signed an executive order that would ban TikTok in the United States of America, with the president revealing the action was due to concerns about the app’s allegedly “malicious” collection of personal data. The move was something of a polarizing one, with many speaking out against Trump’s decision to restrict access, stating that TikTok wasn’t as significant of a threat as the US perceived it to be.
A few months later and the TikTok ban is almost here, with America preventing app stores from allowing US citizens to download TikTok or the popular Chinese social media app WeChat this Sunday. Talking about the decision on Fox Business News, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross claimed the decision will “safeguard the national security of the United States.”
This isn’t exactly the end for TikTok in the United States just yet though. According to Ross, the app merely won’t be available to download on September 20, meaning those who currently have access to TikTok on their digital devices will be able to continue doing so until it’s fully banned on November 12. However, updates won’t be available, so those still engaging with the social media platform will be stuck on its current version. WeChat, on the other hand, won’t get the luxury of a few extra weeks. Come Sunday, the Tencent-owned social media and payment app will be removed entirely, restricting access to its 19 million US users.
Speaking on why Trump has decided to restrict access to the incredibly popular social media platform, Ross claimed: “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.” Ross went on to call both WeChat and TikTok “significant threats,” stating that the US has taken “significant action to combat China’s malicious collection of American citizens’ personal data”
Interestingly, it seems ByteDance, the developer behind TikTok, has been in talks with Oracle and Walmart with the intention of forming “TikTok Global.” The new company would look to solve a lot of Trump’s criticisms and concerns surrounding TikTok’s presence in America, potentially preventing the app’s ban and allowing it to continue operating in the country. As of now, however, TikTok is currently on the verge of being removed from the app store, meaning its millions of avid daily users will no longer be able to gain access.
Tiktok will be restricted in the United States on September 20.
Source: The Guardian
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