Donald Trump signs order banning transactions with 8 Chinese apps, including Alipay

On a call with reporters shortly after the order was announced, senior administration officials declined to offer any specific evidence tying the blacklisted entities with alleged efforts by the Chinese government to obtain users’ personal data.

“The executive order is based on risk,” said one senior administration official, citing the large user base and high download numbers of the targeted applications. “We’re talking tens of millions of devices.”