Security News > 2021 > January > Trump administration bans eight Chinese apps
United States president Donald Trump has signed an executive order banning the use of eight Chinese apps, namely Alipay, CamScanner, QQ Wallet, SHAREit, Tencent QQ, VMate, WeChat Pay, and WPS Office.
The executive order says the apps "Threaten national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States" because China can track users' devices.
The executive order says that the payment apps are part China's plan "To use bulk data collection to advance China's economic and national security agenda." That agenda, the order says, is evident in the attacks on health insurance giant Anthem and the US government's Office of Personnel Management.
The order even leans on India's assessment that some Chinese apps phone home with users' personal data.
The order prohibits "Any transaction by any person ... with persons that develop or control the following Chinese connected software applications."
As the ban takes effect 45 days from the signing of the executive order, that's a problem the incoming Biden Administration gets to solve.