US to ban TikTok downloads, block WeChat use

After Sept 20, services on WeChat will be "degraded" because of restrictions on US digital services that support the app, said a senior US Commerce Department official. — AFP

WASHINGTON: The United States on Sept 18 ordered a ban on downloads of popular the video app TikTok and effectively block the use of the Chinese super-app WeChat on US national security grounds, escalating a fight with Beijing over digital technology.

The measures effectively disable the Tencent-owned WeChat app in the United States from Sept 20, but are expected to allow TikTok users who have already downloaded the app to keep accessing the service through Nov 12.