Sunlight seen, TikTok & WeChat to exit party
September 20th for WeChat, and November 12th 2020 for TikTok, any internet service operating in the US that enables their use is prohibited. Here’s the excerpt from the Commerce Department:
As of September 20, 2020, for WeChat and as of November 12, 2020, for TikTok, the following transactions are prohibited:
- Any provision of internet hosting services enabling the functioning or optimization of the mobile application in the U.S.;
- Any provision of content delivery network services enabling the functioning or optimization of the mobile application in the U.S.;
- Any provision directly contracted or arranged internet transit or peering services enabling the function or optimization of the mobile application within the U.S.;
- Any utilization of the mobile application’s constituent code, functions, or services in the functioning of software or services developed and/or accessible within the U.S.
The deals with Microsoft and Oracle came to no mutually agreeable outcome, so TikTok’s going away.
TikTok was widely touted as the reason for lack of attendance at Trump’s Oklahoma Rally on June 20 as millions of TikTok users got free tickets, 47 days later executive order was given to shut it down.
You can read the full statement at the Department of Commerce
TikTok is still available on the Play Store at the moment should you wish to potentially give all your data away / have one last hurrah before it goes away. That said, the app does have some really troubling stuff so there are more reasons than potentially bruised ego of Trump with this thing.
