微信扫一扫
The order will take effect in 45 days.
As the order notes, WeChat is used by some people in the US. In China, however, WeChat is an absolutely fundamental part of life in the country. As Android Central's Alex Dobie notes:
It remains unclear at this stage how far-reaching this executive order is. It could, in time lead to both WeChat and TikTok being removed from Apple's App Store on iOS in the US (unless TikTok is sold to Microsoft in the meantime), and there's certainly a possibility it could affect Apple in China too. According to the announcement, the definition of a "transaction" will be clarified by the Secretary of Commerce at the end of the 45-day grace period.
As mentioned, it's unclear how this could affect Apple's dealings in China, and whether the EO extends to dealings abroad or only on US soil. This is extremely important because if Apple somehow wound up prohibited from letting WeChat on the App Store in China, the iPhone would be made effectively useless in the country. 99% of smartphones in China use WeChat, not only to communicate and interact through social media but to make payments, pay bills, purchase travel tickets, and more.
