Mike Pompeo’s comments come amid mounting tensions between the United States and China over managing the coronavirus outbreak.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday night that the United States “is certainly considering” banning Chinese social media applications, including TikTok.
“I don’t want to go out in front of the president (Donald Trump), but it’s something we’re seeing,” Pompeo said in an interview with Fox News.
US lawmakers have raised national security concerns about TikTok’s handling of user data, saying they were concerned about Chinese laws requiring national companies “to support and cooperate with Party-controlled intelligence work. Chinese Communist. “
The app, which is not available in China, has tried to distance itself from its Chinese roots to appeal to a global audience, and has emphasized its independence from China.
Pompeo’s comments also come amid mounting tensions between the United States and China over the handling of the coronavirus outbreak, China’s actions in Hong Kong and a nearly two-year trade war.
TikTok, a short-form video app owned by China-based ByteDance, was recently banned in India along with 58 other Chinese apps after a border clash between India and China.
Reuters reported on Monday night that TikTok would exit the Hong Kong market in a matter of days, deciding to do so after the establishment of a new national security law for the semi-autonomous city.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is posted from a syndicated channel.)
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