Commerce Dept. outlines forthcoming restrictions on TikTok and WeChat, saying as of Sunday, neither app can be distributed or maintained on mobile app stores: commerce.gov/news/press-rel…
More on the latest here: cnn.com/2020/09/18/tec…
On Fox Business, Wilbur Ross says the TikTok restrictions will simply prevent users from downloading updates, implying they’ll still be able to use the app. cnn.com/2020/09/18/tec…
Senior Commerce officials just finished briefing the press. They confirmed that after Sunday night — i.e. midnight Monday morning — TikTok and WeChat will be “deplatformed” from app stores, including the Apple and Google app stores.
Users who've already downloaded the apps can continue using them, the officials said, though WeChat users may experience interruptions and outages as a result of the Department’s additional restrictions placed on internet infrastructure companies.
The restrictions *exclude* last-mile ISPs like Comcast or Verizon, and instead target back-end transactions over CDNs and under peering and transit agreements.
I asked Commerce officials to respond to the notion that preventing users from downloading security updates undermines security, as some experts have argued.
One official dismissed it as “simplistic criticism.” More 👇
TikTok’s response to the Commerce restrictions:
Here’s everything we know about what’ll happen to TikTok on Sunday night. (TL;DR get it while you can) cnn.com/2020/09/18/tec…
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.