Mike Pompeo says US 'Looking At' Banning TikTok, Other Chinese Apps
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Washington DC, June 07: Following the footsteps of India's decision to ban Chinese apps including TikTok, now the US is also "looking at" banning Chinese social media apps, including TikTok in the United States, Mike Pompeo Secretary of State openly said in an interview.
Taking about the Chinese apps Pompeo said, "I don't want to get out in front of the President (Donald Trump), but it's something we're looking at." Pompeo also expresses his concern over TikTok’s handling of user data.
Sec. Pompeo when asked if the Administration has considered banning TikTok: “We’re certainly looking at it.” pic.twitter.com/N9NmbDOka0
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 7, 2020
US lawmakers have already raised the national security concerns over TikTok saying they were worried about Chinese laws requiring domestic companies "to support and cooperate with intelligence work controlled by the Chinese Communist Party." Pompeo said he and President Donald Trump are taking the reports seriously after he was told by the host that India had already banned the app and Australia is considering doing so.
“Whether it was the problems of having Huawei technology in your infrastructure we’ve gone all over the world and we’re making real progress getting that out. We declared ZTE a danger to American national security,” Pompeo added, citing the two Chinese telecommunications networking companies. “With respect to Chinese apps on peoples’ cellphones, the United States will get this one right too.”
The US already banned two Chinese companies-Huawei Technologies Company and ZTE Corporation over concerns of security saying that it can be a threat to national security and that can be dangerous to American Security. Meanwhile when the Pompeo was asked about whether he would recommend TikTok or other Chinese social media apps to their phones to the American citizens. On that, he says smiling, “Only if you want your private information in the hands of the Chinese Community Party.”
On the other hand, Tiktok has itself is not available in China. Instead of Tik Tok, they use a similar app "Douyin" which only runs in China. It meets the requirements to comply with the Chinese government's rules in terms of restrictions and censorship. China basically has control and can pull down a video if they want to. Notably both the apps owned by ByteDance.