TikTok banned in the US, might happens 1 day : US Government

TikTok banned in the US, might not be a farfetched dream anymore. If suspicious statements are to believe it seems, after taking the cue from India, the Trump administration is considering banning TikTok

Amid the concerns that the social media platform might be a threat to US national security, a top US official suggested that the government is considering the ideas to have Tiktok banned in the US.

This speculation began on Tuesday even as Washington started up formulating a tougher China policy that puts commerce on the backburner.

Read this article to find more about the news – Tiktok banned in the US.

While the global pandemic COVID-19 raised fingers towards China, this led to many doubts and suspicious rumors all around.

The rising conflicts led to many restrictions and arguments about cybersecurity and national security. Chinese apps were seen as methods to steal data. This led to many debates and certain major steps.

As a result, TikTok, a video app owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, was banned in India last week along with 58 other Chinese apps on the ground of cybersecurity.

Even though it distanced itself from China, denied the allegations, and claimed that its data centers are located outside the country, the decision was unchanged.

But, if we consider the US, US officials have long harbored suspicion of this app which has more than 175 million downloads of its app in the US and is becoming increasingly popular among youth in America.

They have suspicion against TikTok and other Chinese cyber intrusions, they suspect is aimed at undermining America and breaching national security.

The doubts and rumors came to a head when the US secretary of state gave a statement.

The Secretary of State Mike Pompeo informed Fox News that Washington is taking “very seriously” reports that the tiktok app collects users’ cellphone data and shares it with Beijing.

He further warned that Americans should only download the app

“if you want your private information in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party,”.

He also added –

“With respect to Chinese apps on people’s cell phones, I can assure you the United States will get this one right. I don’t want to get out in front of the President, but it’s something we’re looking at, ”

This statement of Pompeo came amid the expectation that Trump is soon going to sign some disciplinary executive orders aimed at China.

Although, some users have implied their skepticism that the Trump administration is considered to ban TikTok because youngsters have used it extensively to chronicle and relay ‘BlackLivesMatter‘ protests and movement.

However, this current situation seems to part of the growing realization about China’s bid to challenge American precedence in various domains through notorious, unethical means.

For example, the apps and platforms such as Twitter and TikTok are not available for the Chinese population themselves but Chinese officials, nationalists, and students in Beijing make extensive use of the platform for expanding global propaganda.

After its continued efforts to engage and pursue China and its large market to buy American products to bridge the trade deficit, the Trump administration now appears to be ready to chang course, after realizing that China is not playing along.

In short, the Chinese are not buying enough from America for Washington to ignore its deeds.

In a different interview, given to Washington Watch, Pompeo admitted that the American theory is that

“more economic opening will lead to more political freedoms, more fundamental rights being provided to the Chinese people, just turned out not to have been true”.

He further added

“It just didn’t work. I’m not criticizing those who came before; we can now plainly see that it didn’t work, and that means the United States has to take a different path,”.

The Secretary asserted that Donald Trump is the first American President to realize the danger posed by China to US national security:

“Republican and Democrat presidents before him allowed China to engage in a trade relationship with the United States that caused middle (class) America, working people all across the United States, to lose their jobs.”

What says the President about the speculation to have Tiktok banned in the US? 

Regarding the decision to have Tiktok banned in the US, President Trump has his own ideas.

 

 

Though he didn’t offer any specifics about a potential decision, he did admit that banning TikTok is “one of many” ways to hit back at the Beijing government for the coronavirus.

 

Trump’s statements on Tuesday came one day after Secretary of State Michael Pompeo admitted that officials were looking at banning the app.

Read also – https://theqna.org/surprise-reveal-10-websites-and-apps-banned-in-china/

To Hurt China

 India’s TikTok ban in a nutshell was all about to hurt China. It was a decision officially based around security and designed to punish China.

It is an undeniable fact that the US is looking towards ways to hurt China too, and hurting its tech sector could be a lever it finally decided to pull.

Other Chinese companies like Tencent, which is one of the largest gaming companies, and Alibaba might also be worried regarding the mood of America.

But right now it’s TikTok that is now fighting for its life. Thrown out of its biggest market, India, it is now facing the prospect of losing the US market as well.

And as many countries follow the American lead, the decision to have tiktok banned in the US might result in a worldwide boycott.

And, no it is not just speculation. According to reports, hostility against China is picking up in other countries too.

In Australia, for example, on Monday, the Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Interference through social media inquiry, confessed that TikTok might be “a data collection service disguised as social media”.

As it obviously a burning issue, it has raised several reactions. While many are in support of the ban, many expressed worries regarding rising conflicts.

Furthermore, the Chinese company is also trying to explain itself, as can be seen in it’s statement to Reuters news agency-

” We have no higher priority than promoting a safe and secure app experience for our users. We have never provided user data to the Chinese government, nor would we do so if asked,”.

Lastly, one point can be made. TikTok might have been designed for fun and laughter, but there are world politicians who are deadly serious about banning the app.

And as long as China and the West’s connection stays frigid, this distrust is unlikely to change and the decision to have Tiktok banned in the US might arrive sooner than later.