The US government has been fighting the popular short video app TikTok for some time. A renewed push could now mean a ban on TikTok across the country.
According to forecasts, TikTok could have more than 100 million monthly active users in the US alone by 2025. Worldwide, the Chinese short video platform has already cracked the one billion mark.
But in the USA in particular, the popular app is repeatedly facing headwind from government circles. A new demand by the US government could now even mean a ban on TikTok, as the Wall Street Journal reports.
TikTok ban: What’s the deal with the US threats?
The US government’s security concerns about TikTok are not new. As recently as December, members of the US House of Representatives were banned from using the Chinese app on their official phones.
“House staff are NOT allowed to download the TikTok app on House mobile devices. TikTok is NOT allowed on House mobile devices,” an official statement said late last year.
Now the government of US President Joe Biden has launched another counterattack. The US government is demanding that the Chinese parent company ByteDance sell the app. Otherwise, there is a threat of a nationwide ban.
TikTok CEO must testify before US Congress
The timing of the US government’s threats is obviously well-considered. Because next week, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has to answer to the US Congress.
The questioning is about the safety of the users. But it is probably also about the question of whether TikTok poses a risk to the country’s national security.
The survey will also look at the company’s business practices and its relations with the Chinese government.
