US banning use of WeChat, TikTok for national security

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Commerce Department said President Trump’s proposed ban of the apps WeChat and TikTok will go into effect Sunday to “safeguard the national security of the United States.” The government said its order, previously announced by Trump in August, will “combat China’s malicious collection of American citizens’ personal data.” The government previously said that using and downloading the app to communicate won’t be a banned transaction, although messaging on the app “could be directly or indirectly impaired” by the ban, and people who use it for messaging won’t be subject to penalties.