Trump orders ban on WeChat Pay and other ‘Chinese’ apps

Publish: 8:44 PM, January 6, 2021 | Update: 8:44 PM, January 6, 2021

SAN FRANCISCO, – US President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered a ban on Alipay, WeChat pay and other apps linked to Chinese companies, saying they could route user information to the government in Beijing.

The executive order is to take effect in 45 days, weeks after Trump is replaced in the White House by President-elect Joe Biden.

It also comes after previous executive orders aimed at banning TikTok, which is owned by China-based ByteDance, were derailed by court rulings indicating Trump overstepped his legal authority.