On September 18, the U.S. Department of Commerce issued a statement that it would prohibit the related transactions of the application software TikTok and Wechat, which involved multiple content, including the prohibition of downloading TikTok and WeChat in the United States from this Sunday (September 20) These two applications, as well as any services that prohibit WeChat from providing funds transfer or processing payments in the United States.
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Source: official website screenshot
In other words, according to the current US government plan, it is no surprise that after this Sunday, TikTok and WeChat will be banned in the United States, including but not limited to being removed from the US App Store .
In the statement, the U.S. Department of Commerce stated that the following actions will be prohibited from September 20, 2020:
1. Any service that publishes or maintains WeChat or TikTok mobile apps, their constituent codes or app updates through the online mobile app store in the United States;
2. Any service provided through the WeChat mobile application for transferring funds or processing payments within the United States.
For WeChat, as of September 20, 2020; for TikTok, as of November 12, 2020. The following transactions will be prohibited:
1. Provide any Internet hosting services in the United States to support the functionality or optimization of mobile applications;
2. Provide any content distribution network services in the United States to support the operation or optimization of mobile applications;
3. Internet transmission or peer-to-peer services directly contracted or arranged in the United States to realize the functions or optimization of mobile applications;
4. Use the component code, function or service of the mobile application in the function of the software or service developed and/or accessible within the United States.
Any other prohibited transactions related to WeChat or TikTok may be fixed in the future. If the U.S. government determines that the prohibited behavior of WeChat or TikTok has been copied by other applications in some way, beyond the scope of these executive orders, the President of the United States has the right to consider whether additional orders are needed to resolve such activities. The President has already proposed that the national security issues caused by TikTok will be resolved before November 12. If so, the ban in this order can be lifted.
Source: official website screenshot
It is said that this move was made by the US Department of Commerce in response to the executive order signed by President Trump on August 6 and to “maintain US national security.” An executive order issued on August 6 requires TikTok to sell its US business to a US company within 45 days (that is, as of September 20), otherwise it will face a US ban.
Trump said on Friday (18th) local time that he expects the deal with TikTok to be concluded soon to ease the so-called “security” concerns of the US government.
But recently, Trump’s comments on the TikTok deal have been more repetitive: after revealing on the 15th that the deal between TikTok and Oracle is “very close to completion”, he changed his tone on the 16th and said that he “disliked” the current cooperation plan. . In an interview with reporters at the White House on the 17th, he also stated that his government had discussed TikTok with Walmart and Oracle earlier that day, “We talked with Walmart and Oracle today. I guess Microsoft will still be involved.”
In response, TikTok responded late on the 18th:
“We oppose this decision and are deeply disappointed. Hundreds of millions of American users have formed a community that loves TikTok, because TikTok brings them happiness, allows them to express themselves and connect with others. TikTok is committed to protecting users’ privacy and safety , To bring people laughter and help platform creators develop meaningful careers.
The TikTok proposal promises to make efforts in transparency and accountability, including third-party audits, code security verification, and allowing the US government to monitor the security of US user data. In addition, the US technology provider will be responsible for the data storage, operation and compliance of TikTok US users.
The previous executive order issued by the US government without due process may deprive the American people and small businesses of an important platform for their voice and survival. To this end, TikTok will continue to insist on litigation to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of users, creators, partners and the company. “
On the 19th, Tencent made the latest response. Tencent said in a statement that it has recently conducted multiple rounds of communication with the US government to seek a proper solution. Unfortunately, the two sides have not yet reached a consensus. As an application that serves users all over the world, WeChat has always abided by local laws and regulations, and its data policies and procedures comply with the strictest privacy standards in the world. In order to protect the basic communication rights of American users from being affected, we have conducted several rounds of communication with the US government during this period to seek appropriate solutions. Unfortunately, the two sides have not yet reached a consensus.
The Tencent statement also stated that it will continue to communicate with the US government to strive for a long-term solution.
In addition, Reuters reported on the 18th that Tencent had renamed the company WeChat to WeCom before the ban took effect, as a potential replacement for WeChat. According to the records of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Tencent registered the WeCom trademark on August 19.
After several reversals, TikTok fell into a countdown to fate. Since Trump signed an executive order on August 6, TikTok’s road to selling can be described as “twisted and bizarre”.
After TikTok took the Trump administration to court, Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, Oracle, Wal-Mart and other technology giants threw an “olive branch” to TikTok. After all, the source code of the TikTok video platform is the sweet pastry in the eyes of major technology companies.
On the eve of the acquisition of TikTok’s US business, the regulations issued by the Ministry of Commerce of China and the Ministry of Science and Technology put the transaction on the brakes and turned TikTok from passive to active in this “hunting”.
In recent days, TikTok’s fate has undergone a huge reversal.
Source: Screenshot
The main contents of the Net Net plan include:
1. Clean operators: Chinese operators are not allowed to connect to the US telecommunications network, and they are not allowed to provide telecommunications services to the US.
2. Clean the app store: the US (Apple and Android) app store will remove Chinese apps.
3. Clean apps: Prevent Huawei and other Chinese smartphones from pre-installing and downloading American apps.
4. Clean the cloud: protect intellectual property rights and personal information, such as vaccine research and development information, name five companies, Ali, Baidu, China Mobile, and China Telecom, and don’t want them to access them through the cloud.
5. Clean the cables: ensure that the submarine cables are not damaged by China.
Regarding the possible bans on WeChat and TikTok, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying responded on September 3.
Hua Chunying said that everyone knows that on the Tiktok and Wechat issues, the relevant US policies and attempts to take have nothing to do with national security, but the slaughter, bullying, and looting of Chinese companies. The essence is the government. Coercive trading is a blatant denial of the market economy principles and fair competition principles that the US has always advertised. We noticed that some companies such as Tiktok have already issued statements. We urge the US to correct its mistakes and stop unreasonably suppressing Chinese companies.
Hua Chunying said that, in fact, for some time, the US has generalized the concept of national security, abused national power, and carried out various disgraceful suppressions on specific Chinese companies without any real evidence. What has it shown to the world? Called naked bullying. Some people in the United States call the US behavior a “digital gunboat” policy. But the times are different. Today, China is capable of taking all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.
US users of Wechat took up legal weapons, but with the ban on changes in the daytime, there is no way to do the same as Tiktok, and Wechat’s life is not easy.
On August 21, local time, the American Chinese organization “WeChat User Alliance of America” took the Trump administration to court, hoping that the court would issue a preliminary injunction, suspend the execution of the presidential order, and strive for the right of Chinese Americans to continue using Wechat.
The organization said that WeChat is vital to the lives of Chinese and Chinese Americans, and for some users, the ban is like “losing a limb.”
In response to the US WeChat User Alliance’s lawsuit, the US Department of Justice responded on September 16th: Secretary of Commerce Ross does not plan to transmit personal and business information to individuals and groups who download and use WeChat. These users will not be subject to criminal and civil penalties.
This statement made by the US Department of Justice relieved many Chinese users. However, it is worth noting that the statement of the Department of Justice cannot represent the White House and the Department of Commerce, and has not been recognized by the judge, so the legal validity may be questionable.
As we have seen, the announcement on September 18 did not spare Wechat.
Once Wechat is banned, almost all overseas Chinese will be affected to varying degrees. In previous media interviews, many Chinese users expressed pessimism.
A user said: “The first thing I do every morning is to check WeChat.” Wechat plays a very important role in her work and life. Most importantly, this is where she saved the video and audio of her father’s life. There is also a foreign user who has been doing business in China for 22 years. He said that for him and his Chinese wife, Wechat is irreplaceable. If the United States implements the ban, he may lose about 500 contacts. “If (the White House) completely bans this app, it will erase (us) and my wife’s family, all our friends, and my 22 years ) All connections of the business network created”.
In the latest news on the 19th, foreign media reported that Tencent’s investment in games in the United States has also been targeted, and the US government requires game companies to provide information on Tencent-related data security agreements.
Conclusion
The time on the ban is getting closer and closer. Will TikTok and Wechat standing in the center of the vortex usher in a reversal again? We will wait and see.
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