Trump issues executive order to ban TikTok, WeChat

Donald Trump has issued an executive order to effectively ban TikTok, just like India did in June.  The ban will take effect in 45 days, reports said on Friday (IST).  The President of the US has prohibited any transaction with ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok.  While experts are saying that Trump’s executive order might face legal challenges within the US, the news is certainly big.

Here is how the American media has reported on the ban:

“President Trump ordered sweeping restrictions on TikTok and WeChat, limiting their ability to do business and sharply escalating a battle with China,” The New York Times said.

“President Trump issues an executive order banning TikTok from operating in 45 days if it’s not sold by the Chinese parent company,” another media house headlined.

The move has predictably not gone down well with Trump’s critics.  Alex Weprin tweeted, “Trump’s executive order regarding TikTok cites the fact that “TikTok videos spread debunked conspiracy theories about the origins of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus” to justify the action.”