Bad news for TikTok addicts: The Trump Administration is finally putting in plans to ban TikTok and WeChat by taking them off of US app stores starting this Sunday.
We'll still be able to binge on dancing and lip-sync videos for the time being, but because of the app store restrictions, the app will no longer be able to receive updates. As of November 12, it will be illegal to "host or transfer internet traffic" with Tiktok, according to CNN Business. It's unclear exactly what this will mean for US TikTok employees and operations, although employees will still receive their salaries despite the "ban."
Along with TikTok, the Department of Commerce is taking the same actions towards messaging app, WeChat. Both are Chinese-owned companies, and the Trump Administration worries that both apps are obtaining large amounts of personal information. They plan to take further and more extensive actions towards WeChat.
TikTok has been downloaded over two billion times, and it's become a staple for many of us over quarantine. There have been talks of domestic buyers to save the app, although no one has come forward yet. Until we figure out the future of TikTok, I guess I'll just keep those dancing videos in the drafts.