Disney, Apple, Walmart, and nearly a dozen other companies reportedly called the White House on November 11 after President Donald Trump’s orders, including a WeChat ban, went into effect.
According to CNET, the purpose of the call was to ask the White House to clarify further the law enforcement order, which prohibits “any transaction with WeChat”. As is known, the executive order issued by Trump on August 8 was addressed to TikTok and WeChat – both applications are based in China. The content of the Executive Ordinance deals with the possibility that this motion poses a threat to “US national security, foreign policy, and the economy.”
Even so, analysts warned of the dangers of the WeChat ban for US businesses. WeChat, owned by China-based Tencent, is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world with more than 1 billion users globally and mostly in China. The WeChat ban, experts warn, could seriously limit the competitiveness of US companies in the Chinese market. For example, iPhone sales could drop 30% worldwide if the ban forces the App Store to ditch WeChat.
After the ban was enacted, a Tencent spokesman said the company was reviewing the executive order for a more complete view. Regarding companies responding to the ban, the report states that in addition to Apple, Disney and Walmart there are other notable names such as Ford, Proctor & Gamble, MetLife, Intel, Goldman Sachs, United Parcel Service, Morgan. Stanley, Merck & Co., and Cargill. Neither Disney, Apple nor the White House responded to the report at this time.