Washington (AFP)

Joe Biden decided to delay in the TikTok and WeChat file by announcing on Wednesday the revocation of the decrees taken by his predecessor Donald Trump to ban these successful Chinese-owned platforms as well as eight other applications.

However, he signed a new decree instead asking his administration to launch an investigation to determine the real risks posed by internet applications owned by certain foreign powers.

He gives him four months to provide him with a detailed report and make recommendations.

The new executive order seeks to identify all "connected software applications that may pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States and the American people," including "applications owned, controlled or managed by individuals who support military activities or intelligence from another country, or are involved in malicious cyber activities, or involve applications that collect sensitive personal data, "said a White House statement.

The Commerce Department and other federal agencies will need to develop guidelines "to protect sensitive personal data ... including personally identifiable information and genetic information" from abuse.

Asked by AFP, TikTok and WeChat have not yet reacted.

- Separate survey for TikTok -

"No later than 120 days after the date of this decree, the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, (...) the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of National Intelligence (...), must provide a report (...) with recommendations ", according to the text of the presidential decree.

Donald Trump claimed that Chinese-owned apps pose risks to US national security.

He had sought to force the sale of TikTok to American investors.

He accused WeChat, a platform ubiquitous in the lives of Chinese through its messaging, remote payments or reservations services, and TikTok, a short video app particularly popular among young people, of collecting confidential data and sharing it with Beijing.

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These companies have always refuted these accusations of espionage.

A legal battle ensued after the first executive order issued in August 2020. At the end of December, the Trump administration appealed a court ruling preventing the Commerce Department from imposing restrictions on TikTok, which would have been successful. the ban of the social network in the United States.

But in February, the Biden administration asked the Court of Appeals to give it 60 days to study the case and rule on whether or not to uphold the Trump administration's request.

The White House did not say whether this decree extinguished all remedies.

According to a Biden administration official interviewed by AFP, TikTok nevertheless continues to be subject to separate scrutiny "through CFIUS," the Treasury-dependent agency responsible for ensuring that foreign investment do not pose a risk to national security.

These decisions show that Joe Biden has no intention of easing the pressure on China.

"It would be premature to rejoice," said Bobby Chesney, a professor of law at the University of Texas, who follows national security issues, in a blog.

He also pointed out that the Biden administration had not completely closed the door on the reimposition of a new version of these sanctions.

Last week, Joe Biden extended the list of Chinese entities in which Americans are prohibited from investing.

To do this, he amended an executive order by Donald Trump to include Chinese companies involved in surveillance technologies that could be used not only in China against the Muslim minority of Uyghurs and dissidents, but also around the world.

Joe Biden arrived in Europe on his first overseas trip as president on Wednesday.

He is due to meet with European and NATO leaders as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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Since joining the White House, he has made it clear that he wants the support of the allies of the United States against Beijing, accused of unfair competition in its trade relations.

© 2021 AFP