In another blow against Chinese apps, US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that bans financial transactions in the US through eight Chinese software applications. The list of banned apps includes Ant Group¡¯s Alipay.
A report by?Reuters?explains that the move is aimed at protecting the?US citizens?from data transfer to Chinese software applications. The order calls for an ¡°aggressive action¡± that the United States must take against developers of Chinese software applications in order to protect national security.
After the executive order, the Commerce Department is now tasked with defining which transactions will be banned within 45 days. The order targets Tencent Holdings Ltd¡¯s QQ Wallet and WeChat Pay, CamScanner, SHAREit, Tencent QQ, VMate and WPS Office.
¡°By accessing personal electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, Chinese connected software applications can access and capture vast swaths of information from users, including sensitive personally identifiable information and private information,¡± the executive order states.
The document further adds that such data collection ¡°would permit China to track the locations of federal employees and contractors, and build dossiers of personal information.¡±
Even though the order mentions a 45 day timeline, the Commerce Department plans to identify prohibited transactions before the January 20 inauguration of Biden, another U.S. official told Reuters.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, in a statement, said that he supports Trump¡¯s ¡°commitment to protecting the privacy and security of Americans from threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party.¡±
Biden, however, could revoke the order on the first day of his presidency.