Trump Issues Executive Order Against TikTok, Senate Bans App From Government Devices

On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that prohibits all transactions between TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, and any company or person from the United States; the order is set to take place in 45 days. On Thursday, the U.S. Senate also unanimously approved a bill banning federal employees from using TikTok on government-issued devices. Under a Chinese law introduced in 2017, companies have an obligation to support and co-operate in the country's national intelligence work. Trump told reporters earlier this week that TikTok would be forced to cease U.S. operations by Sept. 15 if it wasn’t sold to a U.S. company. He also said that if a sale goes through, part of the proceeds should go to U.S. taxpayers. As of Thursday evening, coverage from all sides of the political spectrum remains consistent.