Sat 01 August 2020:
The social media app, which is particularly popular among young users, has sparked concerns that China could collect Americans’ personal data. The U.S. Army has banned the use of TikTok on official devices.
U.S.President Trump told reporters Friday night he plans to ban TikTok from the U.S. through executive action. Mr. Trump made the news aboard Air Force One en route to Washington, D.C., from Florida.
US officials and legislators in recent weeks have voiced fears of the wildly popular video platform being used by Beijing for nefarious purposes, but the company has denied any links to the Chinese government.
Media reports earlier on Friday said Trump would require the US operations of the app be divested from its Chinese parent firm ByteDance, but the president later announced a ban.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Friday, Trump said: “As far as TikTok is concerned, we’re banning them from the United States.”
He added he would take action as soon as Saturday using emergency economic power or an executive order.
Trump’s move came following a review by the Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS) in the US, which investigates deals affecting the country’s national security.
TikTok, especially popular with young audiences who create and watch its short-form videos, has an estimated one billion users worldwide.
Queried by AFP, TikTok declined to comment on the reports of the forced sales, saying: “We are confident in the long-term success of TikTok.”
“Hundreds of millions of people come to TikTok for entertainment and connection, including our community of creators and artists who are building livelihoods from the platform.”
‘We have no agenda’
The firm this week pledged a high level of transparency, including allowing reviews of its algorithms, to assure users and regulators.
“We are not political, we do not accept political advertising and have no agenda – our only objective is to remain a vibrant, dynamic platform for everyone to enjoy,” TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer said in a post this week.
TikTok’s fun, goofy videos and ease of use has made it immensely popular, and US tech giants like Facebook and Snapchat see it as a competitive threat. It said it has tens of millions of US users.
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