Trump to block TikTok, WeChat downloads Sunday

The Trump administration will ban WeChat and video-sharing app TikTok from U.S. app stores starting Sunday night, a move that will block Americans from downloading the Chinese-owned platforms over concerns they pose a national security threat.

Fred Katayama reports.

The Trump administration is set to ban U.S. downloads of TikTok and WeChat starting Sunday night.

A senior Commerce official told Reuters WeChat and TikTok would be “deplatformed” in the U.S., and Commerce will bar app stores run by the likes of Apple and Alphabet from offering them on any platform “that can be reached from within the United States.” It’s the harshest sanction yet by Washington against the popular China-based video-sharing and messaging apps.

Sunday marks a deadline set by President Donald Trump to ban TikTok unless the app’s owner, ByteDance, completes a sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations to an American company.

Sources told Reuters Trump might rescind the ban if ByteDance reached a deal.

The U.S. Commerce Department says ByteDance’s apps pose privacy risks, worried TikTok could pass American user data to the Chinese government.

China and the companies have denied using the app to spy on Americans.

Racing to meet the deadline, ByteDance is in talks with Oracle and other American companies to create a new company to address U.S. security concerns.