Bad news for 'cool dads' trying to bond with their teens: China-owned TikTok and WeChat face US download ban by Sunday
- Reference: 1600442408
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/09/18/tiktok_wechat_download_ban_planned/
- Source link:
“The Department of Commerce today announced prohibitions on transactions relating to mobile applications 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,” said the American government agency in a [1]statement earlier today.
Starting from Sunday 20 September, the two Chinese-owned apps will be banned from being hosted on US app stores. Updates for both apps will also be prohibited for existing owners, leaving any security flaws unpatched. Payment processing through either app will also be banned within the US.
From 12 November Tiktok will also be banned from being hosted or delivered in America, or served over a CDN, or peered, or from making “any utilization of the mobile application’s constituent code, functions, or services in the functioning of software or services developed and/or accessible within the U.S.” Wechat is subject to the same bans but starting on Sunday rather than in November.
The extended timescale for Tiktok could be to give the semi-commercial negotiations over its future some breathing space to complete.
This morning [2]we reported a lawsuit filed earlier this week in which the US Department of Justice (DoJ) said it had not yet reached a conclusion on exactly what features of Tiktok and Wechat would be banned if the two apps weren’t sold into American ownership.
“We can provide assurances that the Secretary does not intend to take actions that would target persons or groups whose only connection with WeChat is their use or downloading of the app to convey personal or business information between users, or otherwise define the relevant transactions in such a way that would impose criminal or civil liability on such users,” said a court filing ( [3]PDF ) in the name of Serena Orloff of the DoJ.
Various American enterprise technology firms have been [4]publicly jostling to buy TikTok , with Oracle being the current front-runner after Microsoft walked away.
The potential deal brings up echoes of how [5]Skype was acquired by Microsoft , with its internal peer-to-peer architecture ripped out and replaced with a centralised hub-and-spoke network. At least one EU politician [6]questioned, in 2013, whether this was done using NSA spy agency money , following revelations from Edward Snowden about [7]the NSA’s Prism surveillance program targeting Skype .
Looks like app updates and new installations banned Sunday for TikTok and November hard cut. Won’t affect existing installs for now but no app updates.
WeChat different - cutting all communications Sunday.
Guess the Oracle U.S. hosting model wasn’t received well. [8]https://t.co/YzgXo8eOYv — Dave Kennedy (@HackingDave) [9]September 18, 2020
The door remains open for US president Donald Trump to step in and approve a planned partnership between Tiktok owner Bytedance and Oracle, which would avert a total ban on the app in America.
While the manoeuvrings are eyecatching, they are of limited immediate relevance to anyone outside the US. The North American country is, however, following in the footsteps of India, which [10]banned the app earlier this year over the same Chinese security fears . ®
Get our [11]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2020/09/commerce-department-prohibits-wechat-and-tiktok-transactions-protect
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2020/09/18/usa_wechat_ban_details/
[3] https://regmedia.co.uk/2020/09/18/doj_letter_in_wechat_case.pdf
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2020/09/16/tiktok_oracle_trump/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2011/05/10/microsoft_buys_skype/
[6] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=WQ&reference=E-2013-006766&format=XML&language=EN
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2013/06/21/skype_project_chess_snooping_report/
[8] https://t.co/YzgXo8eOYv
[9] https://twitter.com/HackingDave/status/1306946599709442049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2020/06/29/india_bans_chinese_apps/
[11] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Queue a huge rush
Anyone who was toying with getting one of the apps might decide to do this right now, so they are not locked out.
And if Trump Okays the Oracle deal, to give Larry the reward for his loyal support, then apps users will simply have two sets of eyes watching them: America's and China's. Group hug!!!
Only a problem if you live in the US
The executive order only bans them from US app stores, so people in the UK and EU will still be able to download them.
The part of the order that bans WeChat from being involved in financial transactions is also supposed to be only in the US, but it could hit elsewhere given how intertwined international banking is.
Re: if Trump Okays the Oracle deal
He won't do that until his [cough][coug] commission has been paid into his Cayman Island Account.
John Madden Football.
The original John Madden Football video game developed its plays using a non-authorized copy of an actual playbook from real life. It was an older playbook but still worrisome for the original... wait I'm sorry... I thought this article was about some country copying the U.S.A. who themselves copied their playbook from China.
So the 5 eye's spooks have found a really good hole, and don't want anyone stepping in and fixing it ?
First they came for the tweenagers, and I did nothing
I would download TikTok out of solidarity, but much like the President I am fugly and can't dance and don't understand it.
Re: First they came for the tweenagers, and I did nothing
Having been subjected to several TikTok videos I can reassure you being unable to dance is a complete non-issue. As long as you can roll your eyes, stick your tongue out at funny angles and are willing to use a cute filter to make whatever monstrosity you film magically look great then dive in.
The thing about telling teenagers (who are the primary users of Tiktok at least) that something is now forbidden, is this will make even those not that interested before more likely go and download it before it gets banned. As how many US teenagers give a shit if there lip sync videos are being monitored by the Chinese/.
As for not allowing US based app store to host them or provide updated, If i were Bytedance or Tencent I would push out an update to the apps today to allow update from there own servers before they get booted off Google Play and Apple app store. They code do it via some hidden code just like Epic did to enable their in app payments after Apple had approved the app.
Tok for Tik (sorry, I mean Tit for Tat)
I wonder what the US would say if China turned around and banned FaceBook, InstaGram, WhatsApp and Twitter (or are some of these already banned by China?).
Re: Tok for Tik (sorry, I mean Tit for Tat)
From what I’ve read, I think most (all?) of those are banned in China
Re: Tok for Tik (sorry, I mean Tit for Tat)
They should be banned globally
Re: They should be banned globally
And...
- The CEO's (especially Zuck) have all their assets confiscated in lieu of back taxes
- Spend the next 25 years in a Federal Supermax
Impact on TikToc (India) ?
I note recently ByteDance shutdown Vigo Video - widely used in India, to encourage users to migrate to TikTok.
So it would be interesting to know if Trump's ban will impact say the iStore (India) because it effectively is just a shim on the iStore (USA), likewise for the Play Store...
Fuck Trump, but....
Finally! China's bullshit has gone on long enough. Trump can die, but not before he bans all their crapware.
Make Assasination Great Again!
A very leaky sieve
Starting from Sunday 20 September, the two Chinese-owned apps will be banned from being hosted on US app stores.
Most people who want them (especially WeChat) will already have them. For the rest, there are lots of other app stores and instructions on how to sideload. Great way to educate people about how to get along outside the walled garden!