President Joe Biden on Wednesday issued an order revoking the Trump administration's stalled efforts to curtail Chinese-linked apps like TikTok and WeChat in the U.S., while instituting a review of the security implications of apps tied to foreign adversaries, according to several reports.
Trump had tried to essentially ban the apps, but courts had blocked the efforts. The White House is attempting to put a more legally rigorous process in place, according to the reports.
The apps will now be subject to the Biden order's reviews, however, and they could face additional orders over national security concerns.
TikTok, which is owned by China's ByteDance, is still the subject of a review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, according to Axios.
Last week, Biden signed an order banning investment in Chinese defense and surveillance firms such as telecom equipment firm Huawei in a revision of a Trump-era effort to stop similar investment in firms controlled by the Chinese military. That latter order had also faced legal challenges and confusion over its scope.
Climate TRACE's data show emissions at the facility-level.Image: Climate TRACE