Chinese tech giant Tencent's WeChat messaging app has seen a surge in downloads in the United States since Friday after Washington confirmed it would push ahead with a planned ban of the app, data showed on Tuesday.
FILE PHOTO: The messenger app WeChat is seen among U.S. and China flags in this illustration picture taken Aug. 7, 2020. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration
The U.S. Department of Commerce issued an order requiring Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc’s Google to remove WeChat for downloads on national security grounds, but a U.S. judge blocked the move on Sunday. The U.S. Commerce Department said on Monday it will challenge the order. The United States has launched a series of measures in recent months cracking down on Chinese tech firms and apps, citing national security grounds, as the world’s two largest economies butt heads on issues ranging from trade and technology to the handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
WeChat is an all-in-one mobile app that combines messaging, social media, payment functions and other services and boasts more than a billion users globally.
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