Washington: US President Donald Trump has announced a ban on China's social media app Tick Tok because US officials have expressed concern that the service could be a weapon for Chinese intelligence agencies.
U.S. officials and lawmakers have expressed concern that the popular video platform has been used by China for nefarious purposes in recent weeks, but the company has denied any involvement with the Chinese government.
There were rumors circulating in the media that the app, owned by the Chinese company Byte Dance, could be used to collect personal information from Americans, but the president announced a ban.
"As far as ticks are concerned, we ban them in the United States," Trump told reporters at Air Force One.
He added that the emergency would take action soon on Saturday using economic power or executive order.
Trump's move follows a review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which examines elements that affect US national security.
Also read: US considering banning other Chinese apps, including Tik Tok
Users create and watch short videos, a popular app especially among young people, and according to one source, it has more than one billion users worldwide.
When asked by AFP about the forced sale, he declined to comment, saying only that we are confident of the long-term success of the tick.
"Hundreds of millions of people come to TikTak for fun and connectivity, including our community of creators and artists who make a living from the platform," Tik Tak added.
The company has promised high-level transparency this week, including a review of its algorithms to ensure transparency to consumers and regulators.
"We are not political, we do not accept political advertising and we have no agenda, our only goal is to provide a dynamic platform for everyone to enjoy," the company said.
The company added in its statement that "Tik Tok has become the latest target but we are not the enemy."
The app became popular in the United States when Byte Dennis acquired the US-based app Musical-Lee in 2017 and integrated it into its video service.
James Lewis, head of the technology policy program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said he believes the security risk of using tick-tok is close to zero, but that byte dance is under pressure from China over censorship. Can
Lewis said it looks like Byte Dennis may be under pressure from China, so it makes sense to deprive him of power, he could start censoring things.
Lewis said that under CFIUS, U.S. authorities have the authority to open pre-approved acquisitions and that similar action was taken with the dating app Grinder in 2019 when it was purchased by a Chinese company. Had taken
It may be recalled that in the month of June, several popular Chinese apps like VChat, including Tik Tok, were also banned in India.
