In last month that the US government ordered the blockade of TikTok and WeChat in the US, stating that these applications are dangerous to the safety of citizens.
Donald Trump then demanded the sale of TikTok until November 12, something that we do not know if it will be after the rejection of Microsoft’s proposal.
Now, the Commerce Department of the United States has issued a new order to block TikTok and WeChat applications from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
The new rule will take effect on September 20, when the aforementioned apps will no longer be available for download. Those who have already downloaded the applications will not have a particular problem, but will not be able to make any future upgrades.
In the case of WeChat, the rules are a bit stricter, as they make it illegal to transfer web traffic from WeChat or use any code or service within the application, including money transfer and payment processing.
Remember that all of the above applies only to the United States and does not affect applications in our country. At the moment neither Apple nor Google has made any statement on the matter.
As of September 20, 2020, the following transactions are prohibited:
- 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.;
- Any provision of services through the WeChat mobile application for the purpose of transferring funds or processing payments within the U.S.
As of September 20, 2020, for WeChat and as of November 12, 2020, for TikTok, the following transactions are prohibited:
- Any provision of internet hosting services enabling the functioning or optimization of the mobile application in the U.S.;
- Any provision of content delivery network services enabling the functioning or optimization of the mobile application in the U.S.;
- Any provision directly contracted or arranged internet transit or peering services enabling the function or optimization of the mobile application within the U.S.;
- 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.