• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

3

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

3

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
China

Trump’s WeChat executive order sends shares of Tencent parent on wild ride

By
Naomi Xu Elegant
Naomi Xu Elegant
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Naomi Xu Elegant
Naomi Xu Elegant
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 7, 2020, 2:50 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

President Donald Trump on Thursday signed two executive orders restricting U.S. operations of Chinese-owned social media platforms TikTok and WeChat, citing national security concerns.

The orders will take effect in 45 days. Their scope is not yet clear, but according to the text of the twin orders, they will prohibit U.S. individuals and companies from involvement in “any transaction that is related to WeChat” or TikTok’s Beijing-based parent company ByteDance.

Shares in Tencent Holdings, the owner of WeChat, had plunged 6.8% by midday—their biggest drop in two years—after news of the executive order and speculation that the restrictions would affect a wide range of gaming and social media companies in which Tencent has a stake. At one point, the share slump took as much as $46 billion off of Tencent’s market value.

A U.S. official later clarified that the restrictions will apply only to WeChat, not Tencent’s other properties, which saw Tencent shares recover some losses. Tencent’s wide-ranging investment portfolio includes stakes in U.S. forum site Reddit and in the companies that developed gaming sensations like Fortnite and League of Legends.

TikTok did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. A Tencent representative declined to comment.

TikTok, which is owned by Beijing-based tech firm ByteDance Ltd., could be exempted from the restrictions if a Microsoft purchase deal goes through. If it doesn’t, and the Trump administration bans the app, it will apply to U.S. users but will not affect consumers in China, where a local version of the app called Douyin is available.

But a ban on WeChat, it seems, would have a more global reach, as it is a vital communication tool for users in the U.S. and China. Overseas Chinese and members of the Chinese diaspora use WeChat to talk to their relatives and friends in the mainland, where many other social messaging platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp are blocked by government Internet controls. WeChat is widely used by American firms in China to make deals and communicate with employees and customers.

WeChat’s in-app mobile payment platform, WeChat Pay, is ubiquitous in China, and some retailers in the U.S. offer it too; its ‘red envelope’ function is a common way for Chinese students and young professionals in the U.S. to receive traditional Chinese New Year cash gifts from relatives in China.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday told U.S. companies to remove “untrusted” Chinese apps, including TikTok and WeChat, from U.S. app stores, saying the apps threatened U.S. users’ data security. TikTok and WeChat have denied that the Chinese government has access to U.S. user data, and both companies store U.S. user information on servers outside mainland China.

The executive orders represent “an unprecedented intervention by the U.S. government in the consumer technology sector,” Eurasia Group analyst Paul Triolo wrote in a Friday Eurasia Group briefing. They also mark “the first time the U.S. government has attempted to ban a software application running on millions of mobile phones within the U.S.”

One question raised by the order, Triolo wrote in the report, is whether the mainland China versions of Apple and Google app stores will also be required to remove the apps. TikTok isn’t available on the mainland, but for WeChat, or Weixin, as it’s called in China, “this would be a major disruption for one of the most widely used of China’s social media apps and could severely disrupt Apple’s business in China.”

About the Author
By Naomi Xu Elegant
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in International

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Most Popular

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
6 days ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
4 days ago
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
Success
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
By Sydney LakeJune 29, 2026
2 days ago
'Humanity has chosen to become idiots': This Brown professor switched to take-home exams after a mass shooting and discovered mass cheating
AI
'Humanity has chosen to become idiots': This Brown professor switched to take-home exams after a mass shooting and discovered mass cheating
By Catherina GioinoJune 29, 2026
2 days ago
The U.S. Army is opening military bases to private billions — here's why that changes everything for the next 250 years
Commentary
The U.S. Army is opening military bases to private billions — here's why that changes everything for the next 250 years
By Marc AndersenJune 30, 2026
1 day ago
The retired college professor fighting a $313 trespassing ticket in Wisconsin thinks he's part of a national struggle
Environment
The retired college professor fighting a $313 trespassing ticket in Wisconsin thinks he's part of a national struggle
By Catherina GioinoJune 28, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.