Are there any U.S. laws under which Chinese social media apps could be banned?
<p>Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the federal government is looking into banning Chinese social media apps like TikTok (<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/07/tech/us-tiktok-ban/index.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">source</a>).  Are there any current U.S. laws or regulations via which such a ban could actually be implemented?</p>

<p><a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/1702" rel="nofollow noreferrer">50 USC 1702</a> states that</p>
<blockquote>
<p>(a) In general (1) At the times and to the extent specified in section
<a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/1701" rel="nofollow noreferrer">1701</a> of this title, the President may, under such regulations as he
may prescribe, by means of instructions, licenses, or otherwise— (A)
investigate, regulate, or prohibit— (i) any transactions in foreign
exchange... (B)
investigate, block during the pendency of an investigation, regulate,
direct and compel, nullify, void, prevent or prohibit, any
acquisition, holding, withholding, use, transfer, withdrawal,
transportation, importation or exportation of, or dealing in, or
exercising any right, power, or privilege with respect to, or
transactions involving, any property in which any foreign country or a
national thereof has any interest by any person, or with respect to
any property, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/1701" rel="nofollow noreferrer">§1701</a> says that</p>
<blockquote>
<p>(a) Any authority granted to the President by section 1702 of this
title may be exercised to deal with any unusual and extraordinary
threat, which has its source in whole or substantial part outside the
United States, to the national security, foreign policy, or economy of
the United States, if the President declares a national emergency with
respect to such threat.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>and <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/1621" rel="nofollow noreferrer">§1621</a> enables the president to declare a national emergency.</p>
<p>In addition and in lieu of a declaration of national emergency, <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/1708" rel="nofollow noreferrer">§1708</a> specifically addresses economic and industrial espionage cyberthreats, and (b)(1) says that</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The President may, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic
Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), block and prohibit all
transactions in all property and interests in property of each person
described in paragraph (2), if such property and interests in property
are in the United States, come within the United States, or are or
come within the possession or control of a United States person.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Paragraph (2) says that</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A person described in this paragraph is a foreign person the President
determines knowingly requests, engages in, supports, facilitates, or
benefits from the significant appropriation, through economic or
industrial espionage in cyberspace, of technologies or proprietary
information developed by United States persons.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>and b.t.w. &quot;person&quot; is defined as <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/1708#d_6" rel="nofollow noreferrer">&quot;person or entity&quot;</a>.</p>
<p>It's not certain that that is the path that the ban will follow, if it happens, but it is a possible path.</p>

united-states