Not only Chinese, but also Russian applications may be banned in the US

President Joe Biden’s decree to protect Americans’ sensitive data will force some applications to take tougher measures to protect private information if they want to stay in the US market.

The purpose of the law is to prevent foreign adversaries such as China and Russia from gaining access to large volumes of personal and confidential business information. US officials share many of the concerns Trump cited in his order to ban TikTok, according to someone familiar with the matter. In particular, they fear that China may track the whereabouts of US government officials, collect personal information files for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage.

Not only Chinese, but also Russian applications may be banned in the US

US officials have begun talks with their allies to take a similar approach, Reuters reports. Perhaps partner countries will agree on applications that should be banned. US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will decide which applications are potentially dangerous. Such applications must be owned, controlled, or operated by an individual or legal entity that supports the military or intelligence activities of a foreign adversary such as China or Russia.

Apps from China are likely to be targeted by the Commerce Department, given rising tensions between Washington and Beijing. WeChat, TikTok and eight other apps targeted by the Trump administration in recent months are eligible for review by Biden’s team.

Apps linked to other adversaries such as Iran or Venezuela have already been blocked under previous sanctions.

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