Tencent denies rebranding WeChat as WeCom to avert a Trump ban

Source: Global Times Published: 2020/9/20 23:31:50

Photo:VCG



WeCom is a completely different product from WeChat, as it is a work communication and management tool for organizations and companies, Tencent told the Global Times on Sunday, in response to media reports claiming that the Chinese company has rebranded WeChat ahead of a Trump ban that was supposed to take effect on Sunday.

The comment comes after Reuters reported that Tencent has changed the name of its Wechat Work office collaboration app to WeCom, which some said provides a potential alternative to messaging app WeChat and could evade a US ban.

A US ban on WeChat was supposed to take effect on Sunday. The US Commerce Department said in a statement on Friday that it had decided to ban WeChat and TikTok from downloading and updating via app stores in the US as of September 20, and bar WeChat from providing any services to transfer funds or process payments within the country.

On Sunday, a US district court in San Fransico issued an order granting a nationwide preliminary injunction against the WeChat ban, putting on hold the Trump administration's plan to shut down the Chinese owned app.

The Reuters report quoted sources as saying that WeCom does not fall into the scope of the WeChat ban. Tencent registered the WeCom trademark on August 19, the Reuter reported said, citing the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

In response to the potential ban, Tencent said in a statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Sunday that WeChat applications may not be able to gain new users in the US, and current users in the US may not be able to continue updating WeChat applications.

The company has been consulting and will continue to consult with the US government and other stakeholders in the US to reach a long-term solution, the statement said.



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