Apple and Disney talk to White House about US WeChat ban concerns

Apple, Disney and other US companies with interests in China have expressed concerns with the United States government about the upcoming ban on trading with WeChat. That ban will take effect on September 20.

For example, companies would no longer be able to advertise via WeChat or accept payments via the service, making trading in China virtually impossible, the companies argue, according to The Wall Street Journal. If Apple is also not allowed to keep WeChat in its App Store, the sales of iPhones in China would probably also fall sharply, because many Chinese see WeChat as a necessary app in daily life.

It is currently unclear exactly what the decree will mean in practice. The companies hope that in the run-up to its entry into force, on September 20, more will become clear about what exactly is and is no longer allowed in relation to WeChat.

The United States government argues that WeChat, like TikTok, collects a lot of user data and it is then available to the Chinese state through legislation that requires it. The ban on trading with both apps is part of the trade dispute between the United States and China, which has had a significant impact on the tech industry in recent years. For example, Huawei can no longer provide Google services with phones and must stop making its own Kirin processors.