On Aug. 6, the White House said that in 45 days, it would ban unspecified U.S. transactions with WeChat and its parent company Tencent due primarily to data security concerns.
The app is the predominant messaging and social media platform in mainland China, with functions ranging from voice messages to mini-apps for online shopping. If the executive order is applied to American companies and U.S. citizens in China, a quick survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai this week found that more than 40% of respondents predict a negative impact on their revenue, with over a third expecting a loss of global revenue.
The Tencent Holdings Ltd. WeChat app is displayed in the App Store on a smartphone in an arranged photograph taken in Arlington, Virginia, on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020.executive order on messaging app WeChat would hit revenue for companies in China subject to U.S. jurisdiction, according to a survey released Wednesday by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai.