--- title: "Trump Admin to Shut Down TikTok App Downloads on Sunday" description: "The Trump Administration is taking the unprecedented step of barring Chinese-owned mobile apps WeChat and TikTok from US app stores starting Sunday." date: "2020-09-18" modified: "2020-09-18" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/trump-admin-shut-down-tiktok-wechat-app-downloads" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "donald trump" - "the digest" - "tiktok" - "trump administration" - "WeChat" --- # Trump Admin to Shut Down TikTok App Downloads on Sunday ![The Trump Administration is taking the unprecedented step of barring Chinese-owned mobile apps WeChat and TikTok from US app stores starting Sunday.]() *\Image: ByteDance/Victor Tangermann\* ## App Store Ban The Trump Administration is officially barring Chinese-owned mobile apps WeChat and [TikTok]() from US app stores starting Sunday, [*The New York Times* reports](). Critics say it'll strike a grave blow to Americans' free speech rights and set a worrying precedent. The move also follows a [lengthy back and forth]() between the president and TikTok, an app owned by Chinese multinational ByteDance. The current administration sought to turn the popular video sharing app over to US ownership — but such a deal is still in the works. ## National Security The White House claims that TikTok is collecting personal information about American citizens on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party, and therefore is a threat to national security — but it has yet to show any evidence for those assertions. The news comes after ByteDance [tentatively agreed to a deal]() in which tech corporation Oracle — the cofounder of which is a high-profile supporter of Trump — would handle TikTok's operations in the United States.emerged as the groundskeeper of choice for TikTok. On Thursday, ByteDance also [agreed to list TikTok on the US stock market](). "Today’s actions prove once again that President Trump will do everything in his power to guarantee our national security and protect Americans from the threats of the Chinese Communist Party," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement, as quoted by the *Times*. ## No Updates It's still unclear if Google and Apple will sue the administration over today's action. TikTok has [already filed a lawsuit]() on August 24. "We do not take suing the government lightly, however we feel we have no choice but to take action to protect our rights, and the rights of our community and employees," the company wrote in a statement at the time. But Trump officials are playing down Sunday's news. "For all practical purposes it will be shut down in the U.S., but only in the U.S., as of midnight Monday," Ross added. "As to TikTok, the only real change as of Sunday night will be users won’t have access to improved updated apps, upgraded apps or maintenance." **READ MORE:** [Trump Administration to Ban TikTok and WeChat From U.S. App Stores]() \[*The New York Times*\] **More on the debacle:** *[TikTok Officially Sues the Trump Administration Over Ban in US]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()