Although two earlier executive orders from President Donald Trump banning the use of the Chinese-made apps TikTok and WeChat are still hung up in the courts, the president has issued a new executive order banning eight other Chinese apps, citing threats they pose to national security, economy and foreign policy.
The new executive order, however, will not take effect until February, which will likely allow President-elect Joe Biden to decide how - or if - it is enforced.
Trump s order announced Tuesday bans the apps Alipay, CamScanner, QQ Wallet, SHAREit, Tencent QQ, VMate, WeChat Pay and WPS Office. The administration claims these applications collect user data that the Chinese government could then access this information to spy on American citizens.
Get Permission The Department of Homeland Security is warning U.S. companies about data theft risks associated with the use of Chinese technology and digital services.
In an advisory, DHS says that American businesses that rely on Chinese tech will be prone to government-sanctioned data theft under a new law in China that enables the government to require firms to turn over data “under the pretense of national security.”
U.S. businesses using Chinese technology - or services that are connected remotely to Chinese companies - should minimize the amount of data stored in China because it may be accessible by government authorities, DHS advises.