Skip to main content

US to ban TikTok

 

TikTok, WeChat to be banned from U.S. app stores this Sunday

The Department of Commerce has announced that TikTok and WeChat will be banned from app stores in the U.S. from Sunday, September 20, amid national security concerns.

 

In a press release on Friday September 18, the department stated: 'In response to President Trump's Executive Orders signed August 6, 2020, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) today announced prohibitions on transactions relating to mobile applications (apps) WeChat and TikTok to safeguard the national security of the United States. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has demonstrated the means and motives to use these apps to threaten the national security, foreign policy, and the economy of the U.S. Today's announced prohibitions, when combined, protect users in the U.S. by eliminating access to these applications and significantly reducing their functionality.

 

The following transactions will be prohibited:

  1. Any provision of service to distribute or maintain the WeChat or TikTok mobile applications, constituent code, or application updates through an online mobile application store in the U.S.
  2. Any provision of services through the WeChat mobile application for the purpose of transferring funds or processing payments within the U.S.

 

The statement further says that as of September 20 for WeChat and November 12 for TikTok, the following transactions will be prohibited:

 

  1. Any provision of internet hosting services enabling the functioning or optimization of the mobile application in the U.S.;
  2. Any provision of content delivery network services enabling the functioning or optimization of the mobile application in the U.S.;
  3. Any provision directly contracted or arranged internet transit or peering services enabling the function or optimization of the mobile application within the U.S.;
  4. Any utilization of the mobile application's constituent code, functions, or services in the functioning of software or services developed and/or accessible within the U.S.

 

These measures ensure TikTok and WeChat will be removed from iOS and Google Play starting Sunday, preventing users from downloading the apps or updating them in the future.

 

It was also stated that TikTok has until November 12 to resolve the national security concerns it poses. If this is done, the ban may be lifted.

 

President Trump has repeatedly said that TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese internet company ByteDance, poses a national security threat because of its Chinese ties. He advised that TikTok’s US operations be sold to an American company.

 

The new development comes days after American computer technology giant, Oracle Corporation reportedly won the bidding for TikTok's US operations after the Chinese app rejected Microsoft. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Man Sentenced To 1 Year Imprisonment For Breaching Official Trust

Justice A Wuse Zone 2 Magistrates’ Court, Abuja on Tuesday, sentenced a 33-year-old civil servant, Aminu Maru, to one year imprison  for breach of official trust. The convict, who resides in Janyan house, opposite Gwagwalada Park, Area 1, Abuja,however, pleaded guilty to the one count charge of breach of official trust.and begged for mercy. The Magistrate, Mr Raphael Egbe, in his judgement said the court relied on the provision of section 99 B of the penal code to sentence the convict. Egbe, who told the convict to be of good behaviour so as not to go back to crime, however, gave him an option of N100, 000. The prosecutor, Mr Jamil Hamisu, had told the court that investigations by the State Security Service (SSS) revealed that Maru committed the offence between Nov. 15 and Nov. 21, 2017. Hamisu said that the convict was an accountant attached to the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) but seconded to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON)....
Post a Comment
Read more

Again, EFCC Arrests Internet Fraudsters

                                       The Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, has arrested three suspected internet fraudsters, at No 24, 1st Avenue, Fort Royal Estate, Airport road, Abuja. The suspects are; Marvin Nwankwo, Prince Ojenike and Jude Olatekobowale. They created a Facebook account with the following names: Rodney David; David Rodgers and Carlos David, respectively. Their arrest was based on intelligence report that the suspects turned the said residence as their office, using laptops, phone and other gadgets to defraud innocent people, including foreigners, of their hard earned money and other valuables.                           ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Suicide bomber kills five, injures six in Borno

Borno state on map used to illustrate the story                       A male suicide bomber on Tuesday killed five members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, while six others were injured in Madarari area in Konduga council of Borno. Ibrahim Abdulkadir, Zonal Information Officer of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Borno, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). He told NAN in Maiduguri that the incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. He said that the bomber detonated his Improvised Explosive Device (IED), at a military check point killing the victims. Bello Danbatta, the spokesperson of the Civilian JTF, said he lost four of his men including the leader of the task force in Konduga. Mr Danbatta described the loss as shocking and said that many of his members had lost their lives fighting Boko Haram. “”We evacuated the injured victims ...
Post a Comment
Read more