US will ban WeChat and TikTok downloads on Sunday - Politics Forum.org | PoFo

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Washington (CNN Business)The Commerce Department plans to restrict access to TikTok and WeChat on Sunday as the Trump administration's executive orders against the two apps are set to take effect.
The Department said Friday that as of Sunday, any moves to distribute or maintain WeChat or TikTok on an app store will be prohibited. Apple and Google didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
What's happening with TikTok? Here's the latest
What's happening with TikTok? Here's the latest
While users who have already downloaded the apps may be able to continue using the software, the restrictions mean updated versions of the apps cannot be downloaded.
"The only real change as of Sunday night will be [TikTok users] won't have access to improved apps, updated apps, upgraded apps or maintenance," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Friday morning on Fox Business.

The restrictions targeting WeChat are more extensive. Beginning Sunday, it will be illegal to host or transfer internet traffic associated with WeChat, the Department said in a release. The same will be true for TikTok as of Nov. 12, it said. (The Trump administration is currently weighing a proposal involving ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent, and Oracle, designed to resolve the administration's national security concerns related to TikTok; the deadline for a deal is Nov. 12.)
TikTok and Tencent, WeChat's owner, didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
Further restrictions could still be announced later, including against other apps if they are seen to be used as workarounds.
In earlier court filings, the US government suggested that the restrictions on TikTok and WeChat would be limited in scope and not aimed at harming consumers or TikTok's US employees.
TikTok employees will still be able to receive salaries and benefits and to do their day jobs without running afoul of the ban.

In a separate filing on Sept. 15, the US government warned that communication over WeChat might be "impaired" as a result of forthcoming policies, but that "users will not be targeted or subject to penalties."
"Today's actions prove once again that President Trump will do everything in his power to guarantee our national security and protect Americans from the threats of the Chinese Communist Party," said Ross. "At the President's direction, we have taken significant action to combat China's malicious collection of American citizens' personal data, while promoting our national values, democratic rules-based norms, and aggressive enforcement of U.S. laws and regulations."


If any other country were doing this, the US would accuse it of being a dictatorship as a result. As a matter of fact the US does do that pretty frequently.
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I swear, if China takes over the world and bans all social media I will probably kiss Xi’s Chinese ass.

But no YouTube censorship. That would be a bridge too far :|
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KurtFF8 wrote:If any other country were doing this, the US would accuse it of being a dictatorship as a result. As a matter of fact the US does do that pretty frequently.



As a matter of fact, China is a big dictatorship. I won't blame Trump making China taste its own medicine. Biden has a tough act to follow.
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My understanding is that it will be lifted pending Oracle's negotiations to be the US technology partner for TikTok. I think the key thing is that the US government wants all the data and servers that run TikTok in the US, to remain in the US. Presumably to make it harder for Chinese agents to snoop/aggregate data on US citizens. Now the irony isn't lost of course, as the US likes to aggregate data on its citizens too. That said, I'd rather have just the US snoop on me, rather than both the US and CCP snooping on me (not that I use tiktok).

Sidenote, in case some of you don't realize, China is engaging in aggregating data on foreigners. For example, recording public facebook pages and what not. Of course, to be fair, pretty sure most other governments are doing the same. politics, I guess. They tie all of that to their account they make on you when yo apply for VISAs (US does it too).

The notion of privacy is dying a fast and hard death.
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KurtFF8 wrote:Huh? How is banning Americans from using this service "giving China a taste of its own medicine"?


I think he means how China exerts lots of control over foreign businesses operating in China. They also engage in the heavy regulation of foreign entities.
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wat0n wrote:Another thing is that tiktok is a product of Chinese protectionism, since competitors such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter can't operate in China as far as I'm aware.


Ahh right. Exactly, so that's also "their own medicine" as well. Also Netflix and other streaming services are not allowed (i.e. banned) to operate there either.
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Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech...

It's a First Amendment violation disguised as a dig at China. I hope it is quashed by the Supreme Court as being unconstitutional.

It's also a blow against the free market that all the Capitalists seem to praise.
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Everyone with an android phone can side-load it using a single link from an alternative store or tik toks own website.

Apple users can't lol, but they're in the minority.

At the very least this will make millions of kids more tech-savvy overnight as they circumvent the ban.

Another thing is that tiktok is a product of Chinese protectionism, since competitors such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter can't operate in China as far as I'm aware.


They operated there for years, only being banned after they repeatedly refused to comply with local data restriction and collection laws. Facebook was banned specifically after the last uighur terror attack, as it refused to remove content of people being dismembered with machetes in a subway. Today it happily removes us riot footage and covid videos that go against the official narrative.

Tik tok and wechat have broken no US laws. Tik Toks algorithms are simply much better at getting users content. This is due to better technology, not protectionism, which leads to stunted technology. The US regime is simply trying to stem the tide of growing Chinese technological supremacy that hit hard and fast with little warning. Too little too late.
Last edited by Igor Antunov on 19 Sep 2020 02:19, edited 1 time in total.
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I don't have a problem with Trump banning Tik Tok as I certainly don't trust the Chinese. They have been stealing our technology, hacking us and spying on us. I am sure the Chinese government would use Tik Tok to conduct espionage on the U.S. Given that is the case, I have no qualms with the U.S. government banning this app. I don't want a foreign government spying on me (or any government really but especially a foreign government). I am not so sure why people are OK with a foreign government spying on them through an app like TikTok.
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I'm having trouble to see how the First Amendment would apply here, since social media outlets are not publishers so they don't really have an editorial line (in theory) and people can open accounts at competing services with no restrictions. But it is an industrial organization issue, a trade issue and with a security angle as well.
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Godstud wrote:Limiting people's freedom of speech by shutting down media platforms. How can you NOT see that?


I don't see that because these platforms don't have an editorial line. They are not publishers like newspapers are - and that's actually in their interest since if they were they would not only get First Amendment protections but would also be liable whenever someone publishes a libelous thing in their platform (just like newspapers are). They are also not being shut down for their editorial line and users have other alternatives too.

It would make for an interesting case for courts to deal with but I can imagine that being an argument.

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