On September 18 (US time), the Trump administration announced that starting this Sunday, September 20, it will ban US users from downloading/updating WeChat and TikTok.
The US Department of Commerce stated that starting September 20, 2020, the following specific transactions will be prohibited:
Any provision of services to distribute or maintain the WeChat or TikTok mobile applications, their constituent code, or application updates through an online mobile application store in the US;
Any provision of services through the WeChat mobile application for transferring funds or processing payments within the United States.
Can the US Fully Ban WeChat?
As early as August 6, the Trump administration issued two executive orders stating that TikTok and WeChat would be banned after 45 days.
According to CNN, US Secretary of State Pompeo said at the time: Untrusted Chinese apps should be removed from US app stores.
Legally, the US government cannot force individuals to stop using WeChat. We initially expected that the US government would likely take measures to require Apple and Google to remove the WeChat app from their US app stores. As it turns out, that is indeed the case.
This means that new users in the US will not be able to install WeChat, and existing users will not receive updates and maintenance.
What to Do If WeChat Is Affected?
As we mentioned above, the so-called ban will not have much substantive impact on individuals, but rather will cause inconvenience.
So, what should international students and other Chinese nationals in the US do when the ban takes effect on September 20?
1. Switch to the Chinese App Store to Download/Update WeChat
This is similar to how the US app store has TikTok while the Chinese app store has Douyin—apps differ by country app stores.
If WeChat is removed from the US app store, you can continue to download and update it normally by changing your Apple or Google account region to a country outside the US. Alternatively, you can consider registering a new Chinese-region account and switching to it.
The ban itself currently does not affect the normal communication use of the WeChat app.
2. Bind a Chinese Phone Number to Try Transfers
For users who want to transfer funds or make payments within the US, WeChat transactions may be affected going forward.
We recommend that users with balances in WeChat transfer them out promptly. Going forward, you can also try binding a Chinese phone number to WeChat, or changing your phone's system region to mainland China, to attempt transfers.
This specific ban carries strong political overtones. It can be said that Trump, in his bid for reelection, has resolutely chosen to continue his China-containment policies despite the severe COVID-19 situation and California wildfires.
For now, the impact is greater at the corporate level in the US, and for individual users, it mostly creates unnecessary trouble.
How the ban will be specifically implemented and whether there will be reversals later remain to be seen. Tencent and TikTok will also take measures and respond actively. While waiting for further news, everyone can prepare countermeasures in advance, take reasonable actions, and avoid excessive panic and anxiety.
CheersYou（清柚教育） will also continue to monitor policy updates and bring you the latest information and recommendations.
Source: Reuters, US Department of Commerce official website, etc.
