The uncertainty is over: TikTok and WeChat will not be blocked in the United States . President Joe Biden reversed the executive orders of Donald Trump, who intended the operations of both applications on US soil, among other restrictions.
In this way, the White House puts an end to months with permanent twists and turns regarding this issue. In any case, both TikTok and WeChat must meet certain requirements to remain active in the US According to The Wall Street Journal, Biden signed a new executive order that requires them to undergo security reviews .
The analysis will not be exclusive for the two apps in question, but for all whose origin is the “jurisdiction of a foreign adversary”. Basically, all applications that come from China – and other countries listed in such a way by the United States – will come under scrutiny. According to the Biden administration, the measure establishes guidelines for an “evidence-based” study on how user information is managed and if there are risks to it.
TikTok and WeChat win the battle against Donald Trump
The novel between Chinese apps and the now former president of the United States had several chapters. Donald Trump threatened to block TikTok's operations in the United States in early August 2020. Days later he signed executive orders that suspended the operation of both TikTok and WeChat (from Tencent) in the territory American.
At the time, the US president alleged growing concern about possible privacy issues. However, behind the termination there would have been more personal reasons. According to Engadget, the blackout occurred shortly after TikTok was allegedly used to “spoil” a Trump political rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma . Apparently, users of the app registered free tickets for the event in order to feed an expectation of call that was not such. Clearly, it was not the only confrontation between the parties.
Later came legal action from TikTok and pressure from the Trump administration to force the sale of the company's operations in the United States . Microsoft was part of those negotiations, as well as Walmart and Oracle. However, it did not come to fruition and was suspended indefinitely in the first part of 2021.
With Biden's decision, TikTok and WeChat take a huge weight off their shoulders . In any case, Chinese applications will be far from having free rein to operate under the supervision of the White House.
