Trump Executive Orders Target TikTok and WeChat Over National Security Concerns
President Trump issues sweeping executive orders that prohibit U.S. transactions with TikTok and WeChat, citing national security risks related to Chinese data collection. The Commerce Department sets a September 20 deadline to identify and enforce the specific banned transactions.
President Trump issues two broad Executive Orders that prohibit transactions involving the Chinese-owned mobile applications TikTok and WeChat. The orders target any person or property subject to U.S. jurisdiction, citing threats to national security, foreign policy, and the economy stemming from the apps' data collection practices and potential Chinese Communist Party censorship.
Unlike immediate blocking sanctions from the Treasury Department, these specific prohibitions are administered by the Commerce Department and do not take effect until 45 days after the order. This timeline means the official implementation and enforcement of the banned transactions begin on September 20, leaving all current app transactions fully permitted in the interim.
If implemented to their full extent, these orders effectively bar both TikTok and WeChat from the U.S. market. This action represents the latest step in an ongoing administration effort to use national security authorities to target Chinese technology companies and follows previous attempts to force the sale of TikTok.