Trump signed executive orders last week barring business transactions with WeChat and TikTok, the popular video app. The actions came after Washington deemed apps from Chinese software companies national security threats, warning that they could jeopardize Americans’ privacy.

While the dictate was vague and its impact remains unclear, experts say the order could cause the WeChat app to be pulled from Apple and Google online stores when it goes into effect in fewer than 45 days. Without the ability to download updates, users of the app would become more vulnerable to security breaches and miss out on tweaks that keep it functioning smoothly, decreasing the app’s utility over time.

“There’s definitely a lot of fear. This is an essential platform for Chinese immigrants in the United States,” said Sunny Shao, a researcher at AAPI Data and Ph.D candidate at UC Riverside studying political participation on WeChat.

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