The announcement by the Department of Commerce on September 18th, 2020 regarding the ban on WeChat and TikTok has shaken the digital world.

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A few hours before the ban came into effect on Sunday, September 20th, 2020, a federal judge in California blocked the ban on WeChat, while the Department of Commerce issued a delay on the ban on TikTok. The two events effectively delivered a complete turnaround.

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For now, users of both WeChat and TikTok in the US will see NO immediate change.

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Millions of businesses and users are now left wondering what are the implications of such a ban would be. While we continue to monitor the development of the situation, we put together a brief True-or-False summary of what we know so far, hoping to keep you informed of what this means.

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Contact us for the latest updates!

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I can’t use WeChat to in the US anymore.

FALSE

[Updated Sept 21, 2020]: Users and businesses CAN continue to use WeChat as before, including downloading the app from app hubs and processing payments. The federal judge blocked the ban indefinitely.

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[Original Sept 17, 2020]:

You CAN continue to use WeChat as long as you have the app installed on your device before Monday. The ban doesn’t prohibit existing users from using the app altogether, there might be slight speed issues with sending larger size files/images.

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As long as I have WeChat downloaded on my phone, I can use WeChat as usual.

TRUE

[Updated Sept 21, 2020]: Users and businesses CAN continue to use all WeChat functions as before, including payments, as the ban has been halted by a US federal judge.

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[Original Sept 17, 2020]:

FALSE. Although users with WeChat downloaded to their devices can continue to use the majority of services provided by WeChat, such as messaging, sharing updates in Moments, and follow and receive messages from businesses’ accounts, users will NOT be able to transfer money via WeChat.

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I can’t use WeChat to message colleagues or customers anymore.

FALSE

You can still use WeChat to communicate with individuals, create group chats and add new users to your account.

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I can’t download WeChat in the US anymore.

FALSE

[Updated Sept 21, 2020]: As the ban now halted by US court, WeChat is still downloadable from all app hubs in the US.

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[Original Sept 17, 2020]:

TRUE: Based on the latest Department of Commerce’s announcement, internet users in the US will NOT be able to download WeChat from app hubs, such as Apple’s App Store and Android’s Google Play Store. Whether this will apply to the computer version of WeChat as well remains to be seen.

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This ban on WeChat is in effect immediately.

FALSE

[Updated Sept 21, 2020]: The ban is now halted by a US court on the grounds of violating the First Amendment. The US government will have the option to appeal to the Supreme Court. As of now, no such appeal has been made and no such plan is made public. We will continue to monitor the situation.

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[Original Sept 17, 2020]:

The ban will be in effect from Monday and is subject to reviews.

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US businesses will not be allowed to use WeChat.

FALSE

[Updated Sept 21, 2020]: As the ban is now halted by a US court, US businesses can continue to use WeChat to reach both domestic and overseas audience.

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[Original Sept 17, 2020]:

PARTLY FALSE: US businesses will still be able to use WeChat to do businesses outside the US. Companies that have built, or intend to build Chinese customer base will be able to continue using WeChat; they will also be able to use WeChat’s services, such as Mini-program, to facilitate transactions and engage consumers outside the US.

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I can’t post content on my WeChat business account now.

FALSE

[Updated Sept 21, 2020]: As the ban now halted by US court, US businesses can continue to use WeChat as before.

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[Original Sept 17, 2020]:

PARTLY FALSE: This depends on the delivery method of the content. Using a CMS that directly integrates into WeChat and that caches or saves geographic data will be prohibited in the US. Posting on your account is still possible through agency partners like us.

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My US business can’t verify a WeChat account.

FALSE

You can still go through the verification process for a WeChat account.

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I'm a non-U.S. based business (e.g. UK based) will this affect me?

FALSE

This only applies to U.S based companies.

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Contact us for the latest updates!

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Below are some exerts from Reuters.

The order does not ban U.S. companies from doing businesses on WeChat outside the United States, which will be welcome news to U.S. firms like Walmart and Starbucks that use WeChat’s embedded ‘mini-app’ programs to facilitate transactions and engage consumers in China, officials said.

The Commerce Department will not seek to compel people in the United States to remove the apps or stop using them.

There is nothing that would bar an American from traveling to a foreign country and downloading either app, or potentially using a virtual private network and a desktop client, officials conceded.

*reuters

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