U.S. bans WeChat, TikTok from app stores, threatens shutdowns

Not surprising Trump went after an app that allows the general public to post information. Once again he's attacking free speech.

After the big US corporations supporting him (and getting huge federal bailouts for doing so) begin pulling out of China and bring their businesses back to the US, I'll start to think Trump might be taking on China.

After Trump, Ivanka and Jared cut their business ties with members of the Chinese Communist Party, I'll start to think Trump's 'tough on China' is more than talk.

Until then, it's just Trump grandstanding. And attacking free speech.

Basically it's just extortion by Trump. The US government behaves like a mafia state.

China bans all Foreign Tech Companies - No LINE, No WhatsApp, and they even chase down your VPN operator and will close it down if the CCP can't monitor traffic through it.

As for WeChat, when you use this app outside of China to talk to someone inside China, you're constantly being monitored. I've experienced cases when some comments didn't get to the recipient either when originating from Within or Outside of China.

If there wasn't the Great Chinese Firewall, then I'd say Trump's actions were wrong, however you need to look at what China does to restrict Foreign Tech access to China... I pity those in HK, they're soon going to experience the same.

The technical measures are “enforceable, the question is whether they are legal,” said the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Lewis, likening them to a U.S. version of China's “Great Firewall," which censors its domestic internet. He said there could be a First Amendment challenge.

China is dragging the US down to its own levels of government control.

If there wasn't the Great Chinese Firewall, then I'd say Trump's actions were wrong, 

So we copy China and do what they do.

China is dragging the US down to its own levels of government control.

A race to the bottom level of freedom, to the top of the authoritarian heap.

What do you call a political-economic system where the government controls businesses, information and speech.

Not surprising Trump went after an app that allows the general public to post information. Once again he's attacking free speech.

Apparently you don't realize this app is controlled by the CCP.

The BLM co-found is funded by ... guess who... yes, the CCP...

And it let the general public post negative information about Trump, so he shut it down.

I look forward to Biden using the precedent to shut down Brietbart and OAN.

I have no idea what these apps are proving I'm an old fart.

I look forward to Biden using the precedent to shut down Brietbart and OAN.

Haha, you're going to be so disappointed when he doesn't do it.

Haha, you're going to be so disappointed when he doesn't do it.

If not him, then future Democrats. The precedent has been set.

It isn't 'securing American's data' that is fueling this move, its a (probably doomed) effort to secure American dominance over the internet.

For years people have been trying to get young people to vote, I believe Trump might have finally found a way to get them to the polls.

Tit for tat. China keeps foreign apps out of their country and replicates with their own domestic versions. Remember, we don't have anything similarly named as "the Great Firewall of China".

TikTok is banned in China, yet TikTok has content reporting that follows Chinese laws. Which means don't say anything bad about Xinnie the Pooh or the content will be removed and account blocked. OTOH, saying anything bad about other world leaders is fine. Why would TikTok care - they are banned in China after all.

It just doesn't make sense.

A race to the bottom level of freedom, to the top of the authoritarian heap.

Says the person who is pro-lockdown, pro-mask, anti-kids going back to school, anti-Fox News, pro-closing borders and now you are worried about "freedom"? When the news broke about banning Tik Tok on here, you were one of the first one to come on here and say it was a good idea. Who or what changed your mind over the course of 3 weeks?

A race to the bottom level of freedom, to the top of the authoritarian heap.

China requires all Chinese owned cell phone and media companies to give the Chinese government unrestricted access to user data, their cell phone conversations, their on-line activity, everything. Similar US based media and cell phone companies have successfully challenged US government efforts to access user data and their corporate records with a warrant signed by a judge. They have won many such cases, most famously Apples refusal to give the US Government the data necessary to break encryption on a suspect iPhone. In China such a refusal is not possible. Do you see the difference?

It isn't 'securing American's data' that is fueling this move, its a (probably doomed) effort to secure American dominance over the internet

If you understood how aggressive and successful China is at gaining access to and using individuals information on social media you would not post silliness like that. It isn't about controlling the internet. It is about preventing the Chinese from controlling it to everyone's detriment.

Apples refusal to give the US Government the data necessary to break encryption on a suspect iPhone.

You’ve not understood the technology behind, making this statement incorrect.

The US government wanted Apple to build a back door into their encryption for the US government. Apple refused, as a back door is by definition insecure, as it’s a way to break into the system. No backdoor currently exists.

In China such a refusal is not possible. 

It is refusable, as no back door exists to provide to the Chinese government.

If you understood how aggressive and successful China is at gaining access to and using individuals information on social media you would not post silliness like that. It isn't about controlling the internet. It is about preventing the Chinese from controlling it to everyone's detriment.

Why should non-Chinese worry about the Chinese having their data? If I were American I’d rather use a Chinese phone with my data going to the Chinese government, than an American phone with my data going to the American government. The American government can use that info against American citizens. The Chinese government can’t.

For almost all Americans, it’s way preferable on an individual level to use Huwawei over an American company. With an American company the NSA likely has direct secret access to everything on company servers.