According to the secretary of the state known as Mike Pompeo in his statement on Monday, the United States is finally "looking at" banning all of the Chinese social media apps, this includes TikTok!
Pompeo actually suggested the whole possible move during a particular interview along with Fox News' own Laura Ingraham, even adding that they are definitely taking this decision very seriously. Pompeo was also asked by Ingraham as to whether or not the United States should in fact be considering a total ban on other Chinese owned social media apps, "especially TikTok."
Chinese Apps and National Security
It was also stated that with respect to these Chinese apps that are on people's own cell phones, the United States is assuring that they aim to get this thing right as well. It was also stated that Mike did not want to get something out in front of the current president, but they are already looking into the matter.
Washington's very own top diplomat soon added that the people should only download this app if they really want their private information to land in the hands of the known Chinese Communist Party. TikTok also did not immediately respond to any requests for comments from CNN Business.
Pompeo's recent remarks come during this current time of heightened tension that is between both the United States and also China. The tension has spilled into multiple arenas and national security, trade, and also technology are among the problematic areas.
TikTok, which is currently owned by the Beijing-based startup called ByteDance, has already been repeatedly criticized by many US politicians who have been accusing the short-form video app of actually being a threat to national security due to its ties with China.
The company was alleged to possibly be compelled to support and even cooperate with certain intelligence work that is controlled by the known Chinese Communist Party.
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TikTok's Power
TikTok has also previously said that it actually operates much separately from ByteDance. It also stated that its data centers are currently located entirely outside of the speculated China and that not a single piece of data is actually subject to Chinese law.
US users have their data stored within the United States and their backup is located in Singapore, according to the official TikTok statement. A certain spokesperson for the whole company told CNN Business back in May that it actually thinks that the national security concerns are even "unfounded.
TikTok has definitely exploded in popularity around the whole United States and also many other western countries, becoming the very first Chinese social media platform to totally gain significant traction with different users outside of its very own home country.
The app was said to be downloaded about 315 million times in its first three months of this current year, more quarterly downloads that happened to any other app ever in history, according to Sensor Tower analytics.
