Trump Administration Considers Global TikTok App Store Ban

[MacRumors]

A new document outlining the potential scope of President Trump's TikTok ban suggests Apple could be forced to remove the short-form video sharing platform from its App Store in China.

Trump last week signed an executive order that would officially ban any U.S. transactions with TikTok if its Chinese parent ByteDance does not reach a deal to divest it to a U.S. company in 45 days.

According to a White House document sent out to supporters and seen by Reuters, the ban aims to cut off U.S. business transactions, disrupt TikTok's funding, and eliminate its ability to operate within the United States.

"Prohibited transactions may include, for example, agreements to make the TikTok app available on app stores ... purchasing advertising on TikTok, and accepting terms of service to download the TikTok app onto a user device," the document states.

The document is believed to have been written the same week as two executive orders signed by Trump that target Chinese businesses, one of which is Tencent, the owner of the massively popular WeChat platform.

The document does not explicitly mention WeChat, but if the Trump administration decides to subject it to the same measures, the consequences for Apple could be huge.

WeChat is heavily relied upon in China as a messaging platform, as an interface for numerous other apps, and to make mobile transactions. WeChat is also widely used around the world and has over 1.2 billion monthly active users.

In a worst-case scenario, Apple's annual global iPhone shipments could decline by 25–30% if it was forced to remove WeChat from its App Stores around the world, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

TikTok could avoid a ban if it agrees sell off its U.S. operations to an American company. Microsoft has publicly confirmed its intention to purchase TikTok in the United States and is currently in discussions with ByteDance. Twitter has also reportedly expressed interest in acquiring the service.

TikTok earlier this week said it intends to sue the Trump administration to keep operating in the US, and claimed the executive order is "based on pure speculation and conjecture."

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: Trump Administration Considers Global TikTok App Store Ban

 

[johannnn]

Global ban?? I’m fine with US electing a ****** president. But not with him deciding what apps I can and can’t install here in Sweden.

 

[canesalato]

and that's why having a single app store as the only way to distribute software on a platform is dangerous.
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Global ban?? I’m fine with US electing a ****** president. But not with him deciding what apps I can and can’t install here in Sweden.

This has already happened, for example you cannot install any app from Iran, they are all banned.

PS: to be clear, I am not a TikTok user, nor do I like TikTok, that's not the point.

 

[Guacamole]

Good riddance TikTok

 

[Agit21]

Poor doctors and nurses. What are they going to do now? Dance for Instagram?

 

[Dwalls90]

The train wreck of Trump’s foreign policy continues.

 

[wilhoitm]

Does Apple have to agree to a Worldwide ban? Apple has gone up against the FBI when it comes to unlocking phones! I wonder if this would end up in the courts?

 

[elie.fares]

Poor doctors and nurses. What are they going to do now? Dance for Instagram?

They'll just casually save lives and fight off a pandemic that has been so horrendously mismanaged by the federal government that it's ravaging the entire country.

 

[neuropsychguy]

Does Apple have to agree to a Worldwide ban? Apple has gone up against the FBI when it comes to unlocking phones! I wonder if this would end up in the courts?

If it's legal for the administration to do this (possibly is), Apple would have to comply as a U.S.-based company. If they incorporated outside the U.S. they wouldn't.

/My comment does not indicate support of this executive action.

 

[itsmilo]

I don’t get it. You say world wide ban and then mention China? I thought the app wasn’t working there to begin with?

Apple could be forced to remove the short-form video sharing platform from its App Store in China.

 

[neuropsychguy]

Global ban?? I’m fine with US electing a ****** president. But not with him deciding what apps I can and can’t install here in Sweden.

Apple is ultimately a U.S.-based company that has to play by the rules of the nation (even if they are only temporary executive orders).

 

[dschulian]

Did I miss something or is Trump now the leader of the world?

I don't agree with any censorship. Doesn't matter if it's Winnie Pooh or Angry Orange.

Facebook is spying on Europeans for years now without any consequences. Oh right, USA are "the good ones", while every other state that is not controlled by US is considered "the bad ones".

 

[Dwalls90]

If it's legal for the administration to do this (possibly is), Apple would have to comply as a U.S.-based company. If they incorporated outside the U.S. they wouldn't.

/My comment does not indicate support of this executive action.

Apple can legally just create a shell company for the App Store in a foreign country to bypass this.

 

[Jemi9OD]

Oh right, USA are "the good ones", while every other state that is not controlled by US is considered "the bad ones".

Indeed. The same "Us vs Them" mentality that's been brewing in this administration since the start.

 

[Dwalls90]

America: Don’t tread on me! Don’t take my liberties! Don’t make me wear a mask!
Also America: We’re going to tell you what you can or cannot do in your own country.

 

[rp2011]

Petty and dangerous precedent and President.
His buddies Vladimir and Kim would be proud.

 

[wilhoitm]

Trump may only be in office for another 83 days. Tiki's Toc says that they would take this to the International Courts before taking any action!

 

[WiiDSmoker]

DUCK Trump

 

[Trusteft]

The fact there are millions of people (outside of PRC) willing use Chinese applications which by law pass on info to the Chinese communist party and they have no problem with that, but they have a problem with the American President wanting to ban said application, is just mind boggling.
This coming from someone who can't stand Trump.

 

[itsmilo]

The fact there are millions of people (outside of PRC) willing use Chinese applications which by law pass on info to the Chinese communist party and they have no problem with that, but they have a problem with the American President wanting to ban said application, is just mind boggling.
This coming from someone who can't stand Trump.

the thing is that he made an executive order based on hear say like where is the actual proof? It’s like that HBO interview where the reporter kept digging and Trump kept being like „people say that. The books. I read it. People„

 

[adib]

Apple can legally just create a shell company for the App Store in a foreign country to bypass this.

Which is "Apple Distribution International" – the company in Ireland in charge of the App Store.

 

[lixuelai]

The fact there are millions of people (outside of PRC) willing use Chinese applications which by law pass on info to the Chinese communist party and they have no problem with that, but they have a problem with the American President wanting to ban said application, is just mind boggling.
This coming from someone who can't stand Trump.

We are talking about a potential global ban here. What right does Trump have to dictate decisions of those who had nothing to do with electing him?

 

[ksgant]

Does Apple have to agree to a Worldwide ban? Apple has gone up against the FBI when it comes to unlocking phones! I wonder if this would end up in the courts?

No. Also, he has no power to ban it here in the U.S. The executive order means nothing. They know this. But this can also be a tool for him to go "I wanted to ban the Chinese from spying on us, but the Democrats hate America and say I can't ban the app blah blah blah...." because it's all about him.

They probably told him that he can't ban something through this executive order, which makes him want to do it even more because he just CANNOT be wrong about something. He's incapable of being wrong. It's Sharpie-gate all over again.
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We are talking about a potential global ban here. What right does Trump have to dictate decisions of those who had nothing to do with electing him?

He doesn't. He can't. It's all just bluster.

 

[yaxomoxay]

We are talking about a potential global ban here. What right does Trump have to dictate decisions of those who had nothing to do with electing him?

It’s not unprecedented, as a US company Apple will have to comply.

 

[ruka.snow]

Umm; nope. We'll download w

The fact there are millions of people (outside of PRC) willing use Chinese applications which by law pass on info to the Chinese communist party and they have no problem with that, but they have a problem with the American President wanting to ban said application, is just mind boggling.
This coming from someone who can't stand Trump.

Millions also still use Facebook outside the USA, shall the EU issue a world wide ban on Facebook to stop our data ending up in the hands of a Trump regime?