US secretary of state Mike Pompeo (File picture: Reuters)
NEW DELHI: Secretary of state Mike Pompeo mentioned late on Monday that the United States is “certainly looking at” banning Chinese social media apps, including TikTok.
“I don’t want to get out in front of the President (Donald Trump), but it’s something we’re looking at,” Pompeo mentioned in an interview with an American information channel.
US lawmakers have raised nationwide safety issues over TikTok’s dealing with of person knowledge, saying they have been nervous about Chinese legal guidelines requiring home corporations “to support and cooperate with intelligence work controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.”
The app, which isn’t accessible in China, has sought to distance itself from its Chinese roots to enchantment to a worldwide viewers and has emphasised its independence from China.
Pompeo’s remarks additionally come amid rising US-China tensions over the dealing with of the coronavirus outbreak, China’s actions in Hong Kong and an almost two-12 months commerce struggle.
Meanwhile, the brief-video sharing platform mentioned it’ll exit the Hong Kong market inside days as different expertise corporations including Facebook Inc have suspended processing authorities requests for person knowledge within the area.
TikTok owned by China-based ByteDance has made the choice to exit the area following China’s institution of a sweeping new nationwide safety regulation for the semi-autonomous metropolis.
The firm, now run by former Walt Disney Co government Kevin Mayer, has mentioned prior to now that the app’s person knowledge is just not saved in China.
Last week India banned 59, principally Chinese, cellular apps including TikTok and Tencent’s WeChat, in its strongest transfer but focusing on China within the on-line area because the border disaster erupted final month. The transfer has doubtlessly dented large Chinese companies’ enlargement plans for the South Asian market.
India-China standoff: Complete protection
Chinese corporations’ present and deliberate investments in India stand at greater than $26 billion, analysis group Brookings mentioned in March.