TikTok, WeChat May Resume Operations In US As Biden Revokes Trump's Ban

President Joe Biden has signed an executive order on Wednesday revoking the Trump-era bans on TikTok and WeChat.

Biden has ordered the commerce secretary to investigate apps with ties to foreign adversaries that may pose a risk to American data privacy or national security.

The executive order takes the place of a series of executive orders introduced by President Trump last year, which restricted apps like TikTok, WeChat and Alipay from US app stores and took further measures to prevent them from operating in the US.

The most extreme effects of those orders were hindered by ongoing court challenges, but Wednesday’s order will revoke the orders outright. Instead, Biden’s order will institute a new framework for determining the national security risks of transactions that involve apps that are connected to the governments or militaries of foreign adversaries, like China, or collect sensitive data from US consumers.

On Wednesday, TikTok senior Administration Official said “The administration is committed to promoting an open, interoperable, reliable, and secure internet and to protecting human rights online and offline, and to supporting a vibrant global digital economy,”

“The challenge that we’re addressing with this EO is that certain countries, including China, do not share these commitments or values and are instead working to leverage digital technologies and American data in ways that present unacceptable national security risks,” The Verge reported.

Wednesday’s order calls on the Commerce Department and other federal agencies to work together to craft recommendations to protect against the collection, sale, and transfer of sensitive US consumer data to foreign adversaries. The Commerce Department is expected to then make recommendations for future executive actions or legislation to address these concerns.