Commerce Department Prohibits WeChat and TikTok Transactions to Protect the National Security of the United States

ย In response to President Trumpโ€™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. Todayโ€™s announced prohibitions, when combined, protect users in the U.S. by eliminating access to these applications and significantly reducing their functionality.

โ€œTodayโ€™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,โ€ said U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. โ€œAt the Presidentโ€™s direction, we have taken significant action to combat Chinaโ€™s malicious collection of American citizensโ€™ personal data, while promoting our national values, democratic rules-based norms, and aggressive enforcement of U.S. laws and regulations.โ€

While the threats posed by WeChat and TikTok are not identical, they are similar. Each collects vast swaths of data from users, including network activity, location data, and browsing and search histories. Each is an active participant in Chinaโ€™s civil-military fusion and is subject to mandatory cooperation with the intelligence services of the CCP.  This combination results in the use of WeChat and TikTok creating unacceptable risks to our national security.

As of September 20, 2020, the following transactions are 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.

As of September 20, 2020, for WeChat and as of November 12, 2020, for TikTokthe following transactions are 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 applicationโ€™s constituent code, functions, or services in the functioning of software or services developed and/or accessible within the U.S.

Any other prohibitive transaction relating to WeChat or TikTok may be identified at a future date. Should the U.S. Government determine that WeChatโ€™s or TikTokโ€™s illicit behavior is being replicated by another app somehow outside the scope of these executive orders, the President has the authority to consider whether additional orders may be appropriate to address such activities. The President has provided until November 12 for the national security concerns posed by TikTok to be resolved. If they are, the prohibitions in this order may be lifted.

The notices for these actions will be posted on the Federal Register at approximately 8:45AM EDT on Friday, September 18, 2020.

Background:

On August 6, 2020, President Trump signed Executive Orders (E.O.) 13942, Addressing the Threat Posed by TikTok, and E.O. 13943, Addressing the Threat Posed by WeChat. In the E.O.s, the President determined that the apps capture vast swaths of information from U.S. users, leaving the data vulnerable to CCP access for nefarious purposes. Commerce, at the Direction of the President, was required to identify transactions within 45 days to protect national security and the private data of millions of people across the country. Todayโ€™s announced prohibitions fulfill the Presidentโ€™s direction and mitigate national security risks.

LEADERSHIP
Wilbur Ross

The Thinking Conservative
The Thinking Conservativehttps://www.thethinkingconservative.com/
The goal of THE THINKING CONSERVATIVE is to help us educate ourselves on conservative topics of importance to our freedom and our pursuit of happiness. We do this by sharing conservative opinions on all kinds of subjects, from all types of people, and all kinds of media, in a way that will challenge our perceptions and help us to make educated choices.

The Looming Threat To Our Homeland

After success of โ€œOperation Midnight Hammer,โ€ where U.S. military bombed Iranian nuclear facilities, the threat to America has never been greater.

Groundhog Day came late this year to the Land of Smiles.

itโ€™s the same rigmarole, on whatever pretext, the army commandeers the Thai state with vague promises to restore democracy at some unspecified future date.

Resource number one

Russia has an unsustainable birthrate worsened by mortality rate of Russian males through war and alcoholism. One solution, steal young children from other countries.ย 

Expansionist CCP Runs Amok in Pacific After U.S. Relocates Naval Assets to Mid-East

Caveat established, Chinaโ€™s been going bananas on the high seas as the eyes of the world, and U.S. military assets, hone in on Iran.

The Anti-Trump Protests โ€“ Why Are They So Important?

The anti-Trump stance is not a political position, but a desperate gesture, a mental diagnosis of those who refuse to accept the reality of the World today.

Mawson study using Florida Medicaid data again confirms childhood vaccines are likely responsible for nearly 80% of the autism cases in US

Mawson study using Florida Medicaid data again confirms childhood vaccines are likely responsible for nearly 80% of the autism cases in US.

Abbott Signs Bill Into Law Requiring Ten Commandments in Public School Classrooms

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced he signed a bill into law, that would require all public school classrooms in his state to display the Ten Commandments.

Supreme Court Limits Factors Courts May Consider When Revoking Supervised Release

On June 20, the Supreme Court voted 7โ€“2 to limit the factors that judges are allowed to consider when revoking supervised release.

Reports: B-2 Stealth Bombers Depart United States, Heading West

Reports indicate multiple U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bombers departed Whiteman Air Force Base, MS, overnight on June 20 and June 21, heading west.

No Changes Planned for FDAโ€™s Vaccine Advisory Committee โ€˜At This Timeโ€™: Spokesperson

There are no plans to remove any members of the panel that advises the FDA on vaccines, a spokesperson said on June 20.

Trump Says Trade Deals Expected With India and Pakistan

President Trump expects US will sign trade deals with India and Pakistan, signaling growing momentum in push to reshape global trade through tariff diplomacy.

Trump Says US Intelligence Communityโ€™s Assessment of Iranโ€™s Nuclear Program โ€˜Was Wrongโ€™

President Trump said his director of national intelligenceโ€™s assessment in March that Iran had yet to decide on building a nuclear weapon was wrong.

NIH Ends Gain-of-Function Research, Implementing Trumpโ€™s Executive Order

The NIH announced the end of gain-of-function research. The instituteโ€™s update said the move is in compliance with President Trumpโ€™s EO on the topic.ย 
spot_img

Related Articles