If you’re in the U.S. and yet to download the TikTok app, now might be the time to do it.
Donald Trump is planning to freeze downloads of the TikTok and WeChat apps by banning them from Apple and Google app stores starting Sunday, according to a press release issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce on Friday.
TikTok has been in the news a lot over the past couple of months, ever since the president signed an executive order in August threatening the app to cut ties with ByteDance, the app’s Chinese parent company, or face a U.S. ban.
Since then, various companies have been in the mix to take over TikTok’s U.S. operations. As of a few days ago, it looked like Oracle was set to win the bid, with Microsoft’s bid rejected.
So what’s happening now?
Well, it seems as though Trump — despite some earlier forgetful moments — has implemented the date of the original deadline he set back in August: Sept. 20.
“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 U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in statement.
“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.”
The story is developing…