Security News > 2021 > January > Trump bans China-linked apps for collecting Americans’ data
United States President Donald Trump has signed an executive order banning eight Chinese apps considered to be a threat to US national security, economy, and foreign policy.
Moving to ban the apps is designed to secure the country's information and communications technology, as well as the services supply chain which is considered a national emergency according to Executive Order 13873, signed on May 15, 2019.
This data collection threatens to provide the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party with access to Americans' personal and proprietary information - which would permit China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, and build dossiers of personal information.
The United States has assessed that a number of Chinese connected software applications automatically capture vast swaths of information from millions of users in the United States, including sensitive personally identifiable information and private information, which would allow the PRC and CCP access to Americans' personal and proprietary information.
In December, the US Department of Homeland Security also issued an advisory to warn American businesses of the data theft risks behind using data services and equipment provided by companies linked with the People's Republic of China.
"For too long, U.S. networks and data have been exposed to cyber threats based in China which are using that data to give Chinese firms an unfair competitive advantage in the global marketplace," DHS Acting Secretary Chad F. Wolf said at the time.