Donald Trump to Ban TikTok From U.S. App Stores

Donald Trump has had a fascination with banning TikTok instead of worrying about more pressing matters.

Back in early August, Trump had threatened to ban TikTok from the U.S. if it was not sold to a U.S. company. Last week it was reported that Oracle had become TikTok’s business partner in the U.S. after outbidding Microsoft. Now, it looks like Trump is recanting on his stance and banning the app anyway.

The Trump administration announced on Friday that it would be banning Americans from downloading TikTok as well as WeChat, another Chinese owned app. The ban goes into effect on Sunday.

The Commerce Department stated that restrictions which will make TikTok essentially useless will go into effect on November 12th unless Tik Tok can persuade the Trump administration that the app poses no threat to national security. TikTok is currently in talks with Oracle that would transfer some control of the app to the latter company.

However, this doesn’t mean that the app will be deleted from users’ phones if they have already downloaded it. Users will still have the app at least until November 12th. However, they will not be able to update the app.

In a statement, TikTok spokesman Josh Gartner expressed the company’s disappointment with the Commerce Department’s decision.

“We will continue to challenge the unjust executive order, which was enacted without due process and threatens to deprive the American people and small businesses across the U.S. of a significant platform for both a voice and livelihoods,” he said.

Banning TikTok could have tremendous effects on the entertainment industry, specifically the music industry. Many influencers and artists have major followings from TikTok that they are able to monetize from. Without this stream of income, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic where live performances are canceled, some artists might find themselves in a really tough spot.