This archive report was first published on 7 July 2020.
US Government Considers Banning Chinese Social Media App ¶
On July 6, 2020, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested that the US government was considering banning the popular Chinese social media app TikTok due to national security concerns.
TikTok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, has an estimated 65-80 million active monthly users in the US. Lawmakers have been calling for an investigation into the app's relationship with its parent company and the Chinese government, citing concerns that the reported ties may pose a counterintelligence threat in America.
According to ABC News, lawmakers had been seeking answers on whether the app's ties to China posed a security risk. In response, a TikTok spokesperson stated that the company was led by an American CEO and that hundreds of employees and key leaders across safety, security, product, and public policy were based in the US.
The spokesperson also denied that TikTok had ever provided user data to the Chinese government, saying, 'We have no higher priority than promoting a safe and secure app experience for our users. We have never provided user data to the Chinese government, nor would we do so if asked.'
India banned the app in early July 2020, citing growing tensions with China over a disputed border area. Australia, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Bangladesh were also considering a ban.
As tensions between the US and China continue to escalate, the US government's consideration of banning TikTok raises concerns about the potential impact on the app's users and the global tech industry.
