US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States was “considering” banning Chinese applications, including TikTok, because they shared information with the Chinese government.
U.S. lawmakers have raised national security concerns over the handling of user data by the TikTok app. They have said they are concerned about Chinese law, which requires local companies to “support and co-operate with the intelligence controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.” Pompeo said Americans should be careful in using this app.
TikTok is owned by China-based ByteDance. Asked what he suggested to people downloading the TikTok app, Pompeo said “your private information will be in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.”
In response to his comments, TikTok told Reuters it had never provided user data to authorities in China.
“We have never provided user data to the Chinese government, nor would we do so if requested,” TikTok said in an email response.