The order, first reported by Reuters, tasks the Commerce
Department with defining which transactions will be banned under the directive
and targets Tencent's QQ Wallet and WeChat Pay as well.
The move is aimed at curbing the threat to Americans posed
by Chinese software applications, which have large user bases and access to
sensitive data, a senior official told Reuters.
The order signed by Trump also names CamScanner, SHAREit,
Tencent QQ, VMate, and WPS Office and says "the United States must take
aggressive action against those who develop or control Chinese connected
software applications to protect our national security."
A US official told Reuters that even though the order gave
the Commerce Department 45 days to act the department plans to act before
January 20 when Trump leaves office to identify prohibited transactions.
Trump's order says "by accessing personal electronic
devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, Chinese connected software
applications can access and capture vast swaths of information from users,
including sensitive personally identifiable information and private
information."
It added the data collection "would permit China to
track the locations of federal employees and contractors, and build dossiers of
personal information."
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately
respond to a request for comment.
Another official said the order mirrors earlier Trump
executive orders signed in August directing Commerce to block some transactions
with WeChat and Chinese-owned TikTok seeking to bar some transactions that have
been blocked by US courts.
Any new transactions prohibited by the Trump administration
are likely to face similar court challenges as the Commerce Department did when
it sought to block transactions with WeChat and TikTok. The Commerce orders
would have effectively banned the Chinese app's use in the United States and
barred Apple and Alphabet's app stores from offering them for download for new
users.
US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said in a statement he
supports Trump's "commitment to protecting the privacy and security of
Americans from threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party."
The latest action has been under debate within the
administration for an extended period. Many administration officials are eager
to cement the hardline US position with China on a number of fronts before
Trump leaves office.
Last month, the Commerce Department added dozens of Chinese
companies, including the country's top chipmaker SMIC and Chinese drone
manufacturer SZ DJI Technology, to a trade blacklist.
Also last month the administration published a list of
Chinese and Russian companies with alleged military ties that restrict them
from buying a range of US goods and technology.
In November, the administration put on hold an effort to
blacklist Ant Group, the Chinese financial technology company affiliated with
e-commerce giant Alibaba.
© Reuters
0 comments:
Post a Comment