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

Kano Hisbah Board destroys 30 trailer loads of beer worth N150 m

                                   The Kano State Hisbah Board has seized and destroyed 30 trailer loads of beer worth N150 million. In a statement released on Tuesday December 25th, the board’s Public Relations Officer, Adamu Yahaya, said that the cartons of beer were destroyed on Monday evening December 24th after interception at Kalebawa on Danbata Road in Dawakin Tofa area. “The Kano State Law No. 4 of 2004 has banned the manufacture and use of intoxicants in the state. Furthermore, an order was given by a magistrates’ court for us  to go ahead with the exercise,” the public relations officer said. The worth of a trailer load of beer is between N5.2 million and N5.5 million. The sale of beer and its consumption has been banned in Kano state.
Post a Comment
Read more

BANDIT GUNRUNNER ARRESTED

  Police in Zaria city arrested Bilyaminu Saidu 33years, a gun runner, bandit & logistics supplier. He was arrested with 4 AK-47 rifles, 344 rounds of live ammunition & one motorcycle. Bilyaminu is an indigene of Shuwaki village in Bakori LGA of Katsina state.
Post a Comment
Read more

Airline pilot was "sucked halfway out" when cockpit windshield broke

                              An airline pilot had a close brush with death when he was "sucked halfway out" of the plane after a cockpit windshield blew out. A Sichuan Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing on Monday and it was later reported that the reason for the emergency landing was because the cockpit windshield blew out and almost tossed the pilot out of the plane. But for his seat belt, he would have been sucked out completely. Captain Liu Chuanjian has been hailed as a hero on social media after having to land the Airbus A319 manually. He told the Chengdu Economic Daily his aircraft had just reached a cruising altitude of 32,000ft when a deafening sound tore through the cockpit. There was a sudden loss of pressure and drop in temperature. When he looked over, the right windshield was gone....
Post a Comment
Read more