< < BY KRYSTAL HU(Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump’s ban on transactions using popular Chinese messaging app WeChat will cut ties to families and friends in China, millions of users in the United States fear, as they become the latest casualties in the standoff between the two nations.WeChat, owned by Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd <0700.HK>, is popular among Chinese students, expats and some Americans who have personal or business relationships in China. Most popular messaging apps in the United States, including Facebook Messenger , Whatsapp and Telegram have been blocked in China.“I came to the U.S. for free access to information. I feel I’m targeted by Trump," said Tingru Nan, a Chinese graduate student at the University of Delaware. "I’m living in constant fear now thinking I might get disconnected with friends and families.”The ban will cut off far more than the up to 6 million Chinese people who live in the United States. In the past three months, WeChat has had an average of 19 million daily active users in the United States, according to analytics firms Apptopia.Expats, who are adept at working around oppressive firewalls in their home country, are preparing backup plans while in America.Some WeChat users have started to share backup contacts for a limited number of apps that are still available in China, including Microsoft Corp's Skype and LinkedIn.Others plan to do what they do at home to get around the "Great Firewall," as the blockade of foreign apps in China is known, by using virtual private networks (VPN) that mask a user's identity on a public network."When in China I need to use VPN to make Gmail and Instagram work. I've never imagined that I need to do similar things in the U.S.," said Tao Lei, a Philadelphia-based tech worker.Allison Chan, a Chinese-American in Florida, uses a VPN every time she visits China to access U.S. sites like Facebook, Google and Twitter, which have been blocked by the Chinese government."After the 45-day period is up, I'll experiment with it and see if we can still use WeChat," Chan said.She said WeChat has been a major tool for her and her parents to communicate with her grandparents in China."I understood the argument about security, but for me, it was more about how I'm going to talk to my family," Chan said. “My parents are worried about my grandparents because their health has been declining and they want to get constant updates about them."Some Chinese expats in America worry that this is only the latest salvo in a worsening U.S.-China relationship.“My parents are more worried than me when they saw the news,” said Yun Li, a User Experience (UX) designer in Boston who is from Guangdong, China. “They also asked me to seriously consider moving back to China given the current political environment,” she added.(Reporting by Krystal Hu; additional reporting by Echo Wang; Editing by Ken Li, Leslie Adler and Marguerita Choy)

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BY KRYSTAL HU

(Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump’s ban on transactions using popular Chinese messaging app WeChat will cut ties to families and friends in China, millions of users in the United States fear, as they become the latest casualties in the standoff between the two nations.

WeChat, owned by Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd <0700.HK>, is popular among Chinese students, expats and some Americans who have personal or business relationships in China. Most popular messaging apps in the United States, including Facebook Messenger , Whatsapp and Telegram have been blocked in China.

“I came to the U.S. for free access to information. I feel I’m targeted by Trump," said Tingru Nan, a Chinese graduate student at the University of Delaware. "I’m living in constant fear now thinking I might get disconnected with friends and families.”

The ban will cut off far more than the up to 6 million Chinese people who live in the United States. In the past three months, WeChat has had an average of 19 million daily active users in the United States, according to analytics firms Apptopia.

Expats, who are adept at working around oppressive firewalls in their home country, are preparing backup plans while in America.

Some WeChat users have started to share backup contacts for a limited number of apps that are still available in China, including Microsoft Corp's Skype and LinkedIn.

Others plan to do what they do at home to get around the "Great Firewall," as the blockade of foreign apps in China is known, by using virtual private networks (VPN) that mask a user's identity on a public network.

"When in China I need to use VPN to make Gmail and Instagram work. I've never imagined that I need to do similar things in the U.S.," said Tao Lei, a Philadelphia-based tech worker.

Allison Chan, a Chinese-American in Florida, uses a VPN every time she visits China to access U.S. sites like Facebook, Google and Twitter, which have been blocked by the Chinese government.

"After the 45-day period is up, I'll experiment with it and see if we can still use WeChat," Chan said.

She said WeChat has been a major tool for her and her parents to communicate with her grandparents in China.

"I understood the argument about security, but for me, it was more about how I'm going to talk to my family," Chan said. “My parents are worried about my grandparents because their health has been declining and they want to get constant updates about them."

Some Chinese expats in America worry that this is only the latest salvo in a worsening U.S.-China relationship.

“My parents are more worried than me when they saw the news,” said Yun Li, a User Experience (UX) designer in Boston who is from Guangdong, China. “They also asked me to seriously consider moving back to China given the current political environment,” she added.

(Reporting by Krystal Hu; additional reporting by Echo Wang; Editing by Ken Li, Leslie Adler and Marguerita Choy)

< < Microsoft has been the only company so far to say publicly it’s pursuing TikTokTwitter has had preliminary discussions about a “combination” with TikTok, the Wall Street Journal reported, making the social media platform the latest possible suitor for the popular video-sharing app. As the WSJ notes, it’s not clear whether Twitter would pursue a possible acquisition of TikTok, and any such deal would have big obstacles.The biggest challenge to any deal is the Trump administration’s executive order from August 6th, which bars TikTok parent company ByteDance from handling transactions in the US. The order takes effect within 45 days. The administration considers the Chinese-owned app a potential security threat, despite no evidence indicating ByteDance or TikTok has ever shared Americans’ data with the Chinese government. TikTok has said it plans to challenge the Trump administration’s order.And then there’s Microsoft, the only company so far to publicly acknowledge it was in talks with TikTok owner ByteDance for a possible acquisition. The WSJ says Twitter would be considered a long-shot in a bid for TikTok, with Microsoft the likely front runner in any deal. Twitter is much smaller than Microsoft, and the WSJ’s sources say the social platform could be likely to face less antitrust scrutiny than Microsoft. But Twitter also doesn’t have as much money as the software giant for a possible purchase.Microsoft said in an August 2nd blog post that its CEO Satya Nadella had spoken to President Trump about a possible TikTok acquisition, which would include TikTok operations in the US, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Microsoft said it expected its talks to wrap by September 15th.Any deal with Twitter would involve TikTok’s US operations, according to the WSJ.Twitter declined to comment. A TikTok spokesperson said the company does not comment on market rumors.

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 Microsoft has been the only company so far to say publicly it’s pursuing TikTok

Twitter has had preliminary discussions about a “combination” with TikTok, the Wall Street Journal reported, making the social media platform the latest possible suitor for the popular video-sharing app. As the WSJ notes, it’s not clear whether Twitter would pursue a possible acquisition of TikTok, and any such deal would have big obstacles.

The biggest challenge to any deal is the Trump administration’s executive order from August 6th, which bars TikTok parent company ByteDance from handling transactions in the US. The order takes effect within 45 days. The administration considers the Chinese-owned app a potential security threat, despite no evidence indicating ByteDance or TikTok has ever shared Americans’ data with the Chinese government. TikTok has said it plans to challenge the Trump administration’s order.

And then there’s Microsoft, the only company so far to publicly acknowledge it was in talks with TikTok owner ByteDance for a possible acquisition. The WSJ says Twitter would be considered a long-shot in a bid for TikTok, with Microsoft the likely front runner in any deal. Twitter is much smaller than Microsoft, and the WSJ’s sources say the social platform could be likely to face less antitrust scrutiny than Microsoft. But Twitter also doesn’t have as much money as the software giant for a possible purchase.

Microsoft said in an August 2nd blog post that its CEO Satya Nadella had spoken to President Trump about a possible TikTok acquisition, which would include TikTok operations in the US, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Microsoft said it expected its talks to wrap by September 15th.

Any deal with Twitter would involve TikTok’s US operations, according to the WSJ.

Twitter declined to comment. A TikTok spokesperson said the company does not comment on market rumors.

< <Facebook and Twitter on Friday pulled down a misleading video posted by President Donald Trump's accounts because of a copyright complaint. The move comes after Twitter on Thursday put a label on a Trump tweet that included the same video, saying the post featured "manipulated media." The tweet is still labeled, but when you click on the video it says "This media has been disabled in response to a report by the copyright owner."Trump's social media posts featured an edited video with a fake CNN ticker that said, "Terrified toddler runs from racist baby." The clip shows a Black toddler being pursued by a white child. After that section of the video, the clip jumps to a "What actually happened" section, which shows the two boys rushing toward each other and embracing, before the one playfully breaks away and the initial footage kicks in. The video ends by suggesting that "fake news" is to blame for the debate over racial inequality that's happening across the US."We received a copyright complaint from the rights holder of this video under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and have removed the post," a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement. A Twitter spokesperson said the company also took action against the video because of a copyright complaint. CNN reported that Jukin Media, a company that represents the parent who owns the video of the toddlers, said that they believe Trump's use of the video violated copyright. Social media sites have typically stayed away from taking action on Trump's posts because what he says is considered newsworthy. Facebook doesn't usually send posts and ads from politicians to third-party fact-checkers. Still, social networks have other rules that even politicians aren't exempted from, such as policies about copyright, voter suppression or harmful coronavirus misinformation. Social media companies have also faced criticism that they don't act fast enough. The edited video shared by Trump had 20 million views on Twitter and racked up more than 4 million views on Facebook before both were pulled. CNN responded to Trump's tweet with a link to its original story about the viral video of the two toddlers hugging, noting that it covered the moment "exactly as it happened.""We'll continue working with facts rather than tweeting fake videos that exploit innocent children," it wrote. "We invite you to do the same. Be better."White House spokesman Judd Deere said in an e-mail that "If Twitter is not careful, it's going to have to label itself a manipulator." He didn't address Facebook's actions. Trump's campaign manager also weighed in, to tell Twitter its "days are numbered."Read more: Trump vs. Twitter: Here's what you need to know about the free speech showdownLast month, the president took aim at social networks with an executive order, in the wake of Twitter labeling his tweets about mail-in ballots for containing "potentially misleading information." Twitter also veiled one of Trump's tweets behind a label stating that the content violated its rules about "glorifying violence." Users can click a button in the label to go ahead and read the tweet. Facebook, on the other hand, has come under fire for not taking any action against Trump posts similar to those Twitter has labeled. On Thursday, Facebook pulled down ads by Trump's campaign for including an inverted red triangle, which is a symbol Nazis used to designate political prisoners in concentration camps.The executive order, which is facing a lawsuit, instructs the Commerce Department to ask the Federal Communications Commission to rethink Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act from 1996, which protects online platforms from liability for content posted by users. Additionally, it gave the Federal Trade Commission responsibility for investigating complaints of political bias and determining if tech companies' content moderation policies conflict with their pledges of neutrality. For some time, Trump has claimed, without evidence, that social media companies are censoring conservative views. The companies deny this.

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Facebook and Twitter on Friday pulled down a misleading video posted by President Donald Trump's accounts because of a copyright complaint. The move comes after Twitter on Thursday put a label on a Trump tweet that included the same video, saying the post featured "manipulated media." The tweet is still labeled, but when you click on the video it says "This media has been disabled in response to a report by the copyright owner."

Trump's social media posts featured an edited video with a fake CNN ticker that said, "Terrified toddler runs from racist baby." The clip shows a Black toddler being pursued by a white child. After that section of the video, the clip jumps to a "What actually happened" section, which shows the two boys rushing toward each other and embracing, before the one playfully breaks away and the initial footage kicks in. The video ends by suggesting that "fake news" is to blame for the debate over racial inequality that's happening across the US.

"We received a copyright complaint from the rights holder of this video under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and have removed the post," a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement. A Twitter spokesperson said the company also took action against the video because of a copyright complaint. 

CNN reported that Jukin Media, a company that represents the parent who owns the video of the toddlers, said that they believe Trump's use of the video violated copyright. 

Social media sites have typically stayed away from taking action on Trump's posts because what he says is considered newsworthy. Facebook doesn't usually send posts and ads from politicians to third-party fact-checkers. Still, social networks have other rules that even politicians aren't exempted from, such as policies about copyright, voter suppression or harmful coronavirus misinformation. 

Social media companies have also faced criticism that they don't act fast enough. The edited video shared by Trump had 20 million views on Twitter and racked up more than 4 million views on Facebook before both were pulled. 

CNN responded to Trump's tweet with a link to its original story about the viral video of the two toddlers hugging, noting that it covered the moment "exactly as it happened."

"We'll continue working with facts rather than tweeting fake videos that exploit innocent children," it wrote. "We invite you to do the same. Be better."

White House spokesman Judd Deere said in an e-mail that "If Twitter is not careful, it's going to have to label itself a manipulator." He didn't address Facebook's actions. Trump's campaign manager also weighed in, to tell Twitter its "days are numbered."

Read more: Trump vs. Twitter: Here's what you need to know about the free speech showdown

Last month, the president took aim at social networks with an executive order, in the wake of Twitter labeling his tweets about mail-in ballots for containing "potentially misleading information." Twitter also veiled one of Trump's tweets behind a label stating that the content violated its rules about "glorifying violence." Users can click a button in the label to go ahead and read the tweet. Facebook, on the other hand, has come under fire for not taking any action against Trump posts similar to those Twitter has labeled. On Thursday, Facebook pulled down ads by Trump's campaign for including an inverted red triangle, which is a symbol Nazis used to designate political prisoners in concentration camps.

The executive order, which is facing a lawsuit, instructs the Commerce Department to ask the Federal Communications Commission to rethink Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act from 1996, which protects online platforms from liability for content posted by users. Additionally, it gave the Federal Trade Commission responsibility for investigating complaints of political bias and determining if tech companies' content moderation policies conflict with their pledges of neutrality. For some time, Trump has claimed, without evidence, that social media companies are censoring conservative views. The companies deny this.