President Donald Trump has announced that he is banning the Chinese video-sharing app Tik Tok in the United States. U.S. security officials have expressed concern the app, owned by Chinese company Byte Dance, could be used to collect personal information from Americans. Tik Tok has denied the allegations that it is controlled by the Chinese authorities or its data is shared with the Chinese government. The fast-growing app has 80 million active monthly users in the United States, and the ban could hit byte dance. It was not immediately clear what authority Mr. Trump has to ban Tik Tok, how this ban will be enforced and what legal issues it could lead to.
Microsoft is reportedly in talks to buy the app from Byte Dance but it looks like Mr. Trump could influence the purchase. A Tik Tok spokesman told US media that “the Chinese company is confident of the long-term success of Tik Tak in the US.” The move comes amid a spate of disputes between the Trump administration and the Chinese government. In addition to the trade tug-of-war, there are a number of issues, including blocking the spread of corona by Beijing.
The app reportedly has about 800 million active monthly users, most of whom live in the United States and India. India has already shut down TikTok as well as several other Chinese apps. Australia has already banned Huawei and telecom equipment maker ZTE and is considering banning TikTok.
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