US President Donald Trump has issued executive orders banning any transactions with ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns video-sharing app TikTok, and Tencent, owner of the WeChat app, starting in 45 days.

Trump signs executive order banning any transactions with TikTok owner

Amid tensions with the US government, TikTok announced today that it will open its first data centre in Europe in Ireland valued at $498 million.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/bytedance-founder-defends-tiktoks-us-strategy-in-staff-letter-318168">Also Read:&nbsp;ByteDance founder defends TikTok's US strategy in staff letter</a>

TikTok expects the centre to be operational by 2022. Roland Cloutier, TikTok's chief global information security officer, said that the move "will create hundreds of new jobs and play a key role in further strengthening the safeguarding and protection of TikTok user data."

Watch:

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The announcement comes as US President Trump threatened to ban the Chinese firm unless its US operations is sold to a US company setting a September 15 deadline. The Trump administration has alleged that TikTok is a national security risk as it could share personal data of Americans with Chinese intelligence services.

The video-sharing app which has one billion users worldwide has vehemently denied the allegation set forth by the US government. US tech giant Microsoft is reportedly in talks with TikTok's parent company ByteDance to buy the China-based social media app's US operations.

Cloutier while sharing the Ireland move, said that "when our data centre is operational, European user data will be stored in this new location" while adding that "Ireland already plays a key role in our rapidly expanding European operations."

Cloutier said that the company was continuing to grow its "data protection and privacy teams".&nbsp;

Meanwhile, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said that Trump government wants to ban untrusted Chinese apps from the app stores of US mobile carriers and phone makers.

"With parent companies based in China, apps like TikTok, WeChat, and others are significant threats to the personal data of American citizens, not to mention tools for CCP content censorship," Pompeo said.

Amid tensions with the US government, TikTok announced today that it will open its first data centre in Europe in Ireland valued at $498 million. Also Read: ByteDance founder defends TikTok's US strategy in staff letter TikTok expects the centre to be operational by 2022.

Amid tensions with the US government, TikTok announced today that it will open its first data centre in Europe in Ireland valued at $498 million. Also Read: ByteDance founder defends TikTok's US strategy in staff letter TikTok expects the centre to be operational by 2022. Roland Cloutier, TikTok's chief global information security officer, said that the move "will create hundreds of new jobs and play a key role in further strengthening the safeguarding and protection of TikTok user data." Watch: The announcement comes as US President Trump threatened to ban the Chinese firm unless its US operations is sold to a US company setting a September 15 deadline. The Trump administration has alleged that TikTok is a national security risk as it could share personal data of Americans with Chinese intelligence services. The video-sharing app which has one billion users worldwide has vehemently denied the allegation set forth by the US government. US tech giant Microsoft is reportedly in talks with TikTok's parent company ByteDance to buy the China-based social media app's US operations. Cloutier while sharing the Ireland move, said that "when our data centre is operational, European user data will be stored in this new location" while adding that "Ireland already plays a key role in our rapidly expanding European operations." Cloutier said that the company was continuing to grow its "data protection and privacy teams". Meanwhile, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said that Trump government wants to ban untrusted Chinese apps from the app stores of US mobile carriers and phone makers. "With parent companies based in China, apps like TikTok, WeChat, and others are significant threats to the personal data of American citizens, not to mention tools for CCP content censorship," Pompeo said.

Amid tensions with Trump administration, TikTok to set up European data centre in Ireland

ByteDance founder and CEO&nbsp;Zhang&nbsp;Yiming&nbsp;is going through the worst phase of his life as his&nbsp;is creations are being banned abroad and&nbsp;is being called a traitor.

With an exit from the American market looking inevitable,&nbsp;told employees on Tuesday there were misunderstandings on Chinese social media about TikTok's situation in the United States and that the company could face more difficulties as anti-Chinese sentiment rose abroad.

Yiming's comments in a letter to ByteDance's Chinese employees came after the company and&nbsp;Zhang&nbsp;were heavily criticised on Chinese social media for entering into talks with Microsoft Corp to sell TikTok's US&nbsp;operations.

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"I actually understand (the criticism),"&nbsp;Zhang&nbsp;said in the letter. "People have high expectations of a company founded by a Chinese person which is going global but have little information about it. With lots of grievances towards the U.S. government, they tend to lash out at us with harsh criticism."

Since Monday, some users of China's Twitter-like Weibo have said they would uninstall ByteDance's Chinese short video app Douyin and news aggregator Jinri Toutiao because they believed ByteDance had given in too quickly to Washington.

Others urged ByteDance to learn from US&nbsp;giant Google, which opted to pull its search engine out of the Chinese market in 2010 after China asked it to censor its search results, rather than selling off its Chinese operations.

Zhang&nbsp;said some people had misunderstood the US&nbsp;situation. He said Washington's goal was not to force a sale of TikTok's US&nbsp;operations through the Committee of Foreign Investment in the US&nbsp;(CFIUS) but to ban the app, and there was a legal process ByteDance had no choice but to follow.

Zhang&nbsp;told staff on Monday in another internal letter that the company had started talks with a tech company so it could continue to offer the TikTok app in the United States.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump initially dismissed the idea of selling TikTok's US&nbsp;operations to Microsoft but changed his mind following pressure from some advisers and many in the Republican party, because banning TikTok could alienate many young voters.

Zhang&nbsp;also told employees that over the last two years, anti-Chinese sentiment had risen in many countries and the company must brace for more difficulties in the current atmosphere.

A powerful inter-agency body in the US, had opened a national security investigation into TikTok back in 2019.&nbsp;This committee looks into the national security implications of foreign investment deals in the US.

The probe was over an acquisition of an American social media app musical-ly which Bytedance had acquired three years ago.

Musical - ly was later merged with TikTok. But, Bytedance didn’t clear the deal with the committee. And, it believes that bytedance must now disinvest the entire american operations.

Trump has set the deadline for&nbsp;Bytedance's departure, that is,&nbsp;September 15 otherwise, TikTok will be banned in America.

After India banned Tiktok, the company is on the verge of getting banned in&nbsp;Australia and Japan.

Hundreds of anonymous users joined in under a post about Zhang’s letter, cursing him as a traitor of China, an American apologist and a coward, among many other labels.

Netizens are angry with the impending sale of TikTok and&nbsp;are cursing him. Armies of angry people began bombarding Zhang on Weibo. Reportedly, their accounts was suspended.

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ByteDance CEO has hidden all his Weibo posts from the public, after patriotic netizens called him out for betraying Chinese interest for considering the TikTok US sale. 
 
A sign of this new era of techno-nationalism we are living in: <a href="https://t.co/traepYqUzd">https://t.co/traepYqUzd</a> w/ <a href="https://twitter.com/Colum_M?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Colum_M</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/bylijing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bylijing</a> <a href="https://t.co/76Z4H58EZ3">pic.twitter.com/76Z4H58EZ3</a>
— Zheping Huang (@pingroma) <a href="https://twitter.com/pingroma/status/1290474063073181696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Earlier today, a tweet claimed that all Weibo posts from zhang are now hidden from his profile.

Some of Zhang’s Weibo posts from the early 2010s, which can be seen by some as liberal-leaning, putting the entrepreneur in the rank of “public intellectuals.” The term has in recent years been thought of as derogatory, as internet patriots see the group as ignorant and worshippers of western values.

Now, in the rest of the world that tag is considered as a compliment. But in China, it’s an insult because, Chinese patriots see public intellectuals as ignorant, and worshippers of western values.

Bytedance has not betrayed the homeland. Tiktok is being banned because it cannot compromise on one thing: complete loyalty to the Chinese state&nbsp;and the Communist Party.

In 2018,&nbsp;a meeting was organised by the internal party committee of Bytedance to&nbsp;“implement the spirit of national propaganda”.

Chinese law requires every company to set up party committees within their organizations. They must have three or more members of the communist party. That’s how the Chinese state makes its presence felt in every boardroom of China.

In the past, tiktok has been caught blocking criticism against the Chinese state by censoring videos, posts against the&nbsp;Tiananmen square.

Tiktok has&nbsp;been accused of advancing China’s foreign policy aims. Now, it is being forced to either sell its business, or go offline.

ByteDance founder and CEO Zhang Yiming is going through the worst phase of his life as his is creations are being banned abroad and is being called a traitor. With an exit from the American market looking inevitable, told employees on Tuesday there were misunderstandings on Chinese social media about TikTok's situation in the United States and that the company could face more difficulties as anti-Chinese sentiment rose abroad.

ByteDance founder and CEO Zhang Yiming is going through the worst phase of his life as his is creations are being banned abroad and is being called a traitor. With an exit from the American market looking inevitable, told employees on Tuesday there were misunderstandings on Chinese social media about TikTok's situation in the United States and that the company could face more difficulties as anti-Chinese sentiment rose abroad. Yiming's comments in a letter to ByteDance's Chinese employees came after the company and Zhang were heavily criticised on Chinese social media for entering into talks with Microsoft Corp to sell TikTok's US operations. "I actually understand (the criticism)," Zhang said in the letter. "People have high expectations of a company founded by a Chinese person which is going global but have little information about it. With lots of grievances towards the U.S. government, they tend to lash out at us with harsh criticism." Since Monday, some users of China's Twitter-like Weibo have said they would uninstall ByteDance's Chinese short video app Douyin and news aggregator Jinri Toutiao because they believed ByteDance had given in too quickly to Washington. Others urged ByteDance to learn from US giant Google, which opted to pull its search engine out of the Chinese market in 2010 after China asked it to censor its search results, rather than selling off its Chinese operations. Zhang said some people had misunderstood the US situation. He said Washington's goal was not to force a sale of TikTok's US operations through the Committee of Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) but to ban the app, and there was a legal process ByteDance had no choice but to follow. Zhang told staff on Monday in another internal letter that the company had started talks with a tech company so it could continue to offer the TikTok app in the United States. US President Donald Trump initially dismissed the idea of selling TikTok's US operations to Microsoft but changed his mind following pressure from some advisers and many in the Republican party, because banning TikTok could alienate many young voters. Zhang also told employees that over the last two years, anti-Chinese sentiment had risen in many countries and the company must brace for more difficulties in the current atmosphere. A powerful inter-agency body in the US, had opened a national security investigation into TikTok back in 2019. This committee looks into the national security implications of foreign investment deals in the US. The probe was over an acquisition of an American social media app musical-ly which Bytedance had acquired three years ago. Musical - ly was later merged with TikTok. But, Bytedance didn’t clear the deal with the committee. And, it believes that bytedance must now disinvest the entire american operations. Trump has set the deadline for Bytedance's departure, that is, September 15 otherwise, TikTok will be banned in America. After India banned Tiktok, the company is on the verge of getting banned in Australia and Japan. Hundreds of anonymous users joined in under a post about Zhang’s letter, cursing him as a traitor of China, an American apologist and a coward, among many other labels. Netizens are angry with the impending sale of TikTok and are cursing him. Armies of angry people began bombarding Zhang on Weibo. Reportedly, their accounts was suspended. ByteDance CEO has hidden all his Weibo posts from the public, after patriotic netizens called him out for betraying Chinese interest for considering the TikTok US sale. A sign of this new era of techno-nationalism we are living in: https://t.co/traepYqUzd w/ @Colum_M @bylijing pic.twitter.com/76Z4H58EZ3 — Zheping Huang (@pingroma) August 4, 2020 × Earlier today, a tweet claimed that all Weibo posts from zhang are now hidden from his profile. Some of Zhang’s Weibo posts from the early 2010s, which can be seen by some as liberal-leaning, putting the entrepreneur in the rank of “public intellectuals.” The term has in recent years been thought of as derogatory, as internet patriots see the group as ignorant and worshippers of western values. Now, in the rest of the world that tag is considered as a compliment. But in China, it’s an insult because, Chinese patriots see public intellectuals as ignorant, and worshippers of western values. Bytedance has not betrayed the homeland. Tiktok is being banned because it cannot compromise on one thing: complete loyalty to the Chinese state and the Communist Party. In 2018, a meeting was organised by the internal party committee of Bytedance to “implement the spirit of national propaganda”. Chinese law requires every company to set up party committees within their organizations. They must have three or more members of the communist party. That’s how the Chinese state makes its presence felt in every boardroom of China. In the past, tiktok has been caught blocking criticism against the Chinese state by censoring videos, posts against the Tiananmen square. Tiktok has been accused of advancing China’s foreign policy aims. Now, it is being forced to either sell its business, or go offline.

ByteDance founder defends TikTok's US strategy in staff letter

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Tuesday there was no evidence that Chinese-owned TikTok had abused the data of its hundreds of millions of users.

"We have had a good look at this, and there is no evidence for us to suggest... that there is any misuse of any people's data," he told the Aspen Security Forum meeting in Aspen, Colorado.

"There are plenty of things that are on TikTok that are embarrassing enough in public, but it's that sort of social media device," he said via videoconference, chuckling.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australias-victoria-reports-deadliest-day-of-coronavirus-pandemic-318237" hreflang="en">Australia's Victoria reports deadliest day of coronavirus pandemic</a>

However, he said, Australians need to be "very aware" that TikTok and other social media platforms, including US-owned companies, reap enormous amounts of information on users and subscribers.

The difference with TikTok, he said, is "that information can be accessed at a sovereign state level," a reference to Chinese companies' legal obligation to share data with state intelligence services if they want it.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-says-unclear-whether-us-government-will-get-cut-of-tiktok-sale-318229" hreflang="en">White House says unclear whether US government will get cut of TikTok sale</a>

"But I think people should understand -- and there's a sort of buyer-beware process,&nbsp;there is nothing at this point that would suggest to us that security interests have been compromised."

Citing a national security threat, President Donald Trump on Monday gave TikTok's parent ByteDance six weeks to sell the app to an American company or find it shut down.

Microsoft is in talks with ByteDance, and any deal could include TikTok's Australia business. But Morrison downplayed the immediate threat.

"There is no reason for us to restrict those applications at this point. We'll obviously kep watching them."

Nevertheless, he stressed that people "need to understand where the extension cord goes back to."

Earlier, China's ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, told the Aspen Security Forum that the US move to force the sale of TikTok violated free market principles.

"There is such a degree of political intervention -- government intervention -- into the market, there is such discrimination against Chinese companies, and these companies are just private companies," he said.

"To accuse China of not giving American companies a level playing field while at the same time they themselves are denying Chinese companies such a level playing field, this is extremely unfair."

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Tuesday there was no evidence that Chinese-owned TikTok had abused the data of its hundreds of millions of users. "We have had a good look at this, and there is no evidence for us to suggest.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Tuesday there was no evidence that Chinese-owned TikTok had abused the data of its hundreds of millions of users. "We have had a good look at this, and there is no evidence for us to suggest... that there is any misuse of any people's data," he told the Aspen Security Forum meeting in Aspen, Colorado. "There are plenty of things that are on TikTok that are embarrassing enough in public, but it's that sort of social media device," he said via videoconference, chuckling. Also read: Australia's Victoria reports deadliest day of coronavirus pandemic However, he said, Australians need to be "very aware" that TikTok and other social media platforms, including US-owned companies, reap enormous amounts of information on users and subscribers. The difference with TikTok, he said, is "that information can be accessed at a sovereign state level," a reference to Chinese companies' legal obligation to share data with state intelligence services if they want it. Also read: White House says unclear whether US government will get cut of TikTok sale "But I think people should understand -- and there's a sort of buyer-beware process, there is nothing at this point that would suggest to us that security interests have been compromised." Citing a national security threat, President Donald Trump on Monday gave TikTok's parent ByteDance six weeks to sell the app to an American company or find it shut down. Microsoft is in talks with ByteDance, and any deal could include TikTok's Australia business. But Morrison downplayed the immediate threat. "There is no reason for us to restrict those applications at this point. We'll obviously kep watching them." Nevertheless, he stressed that people "need to understand where the extension cord goes back to." Earlier, China's ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, told the Aspen Security Forum that the US move to force the sale of TikTok violated free market principles. "There is such a degree of political intervention -- government intervention -- into the market, there is such discrimination against Chinese companies, and these companies are just private companies," he said. "To accuse China of not giving American companies a level playing field while at the same time they themselves are denying Chinese companies such a level playing field, this is extremely unfair."

No evidence of TikTok misusing data, says Australian PM Scott Morrison

India's decision to ban TikTok spelled the downfall of the Chinese social media giant. Three developed nations took notice of India's move. They are mulling similar measures. WION's Palki Sharma tells you how India's move has triggered a backlash against the Chinese tech ecosystem.

Gravitas: India's TikTok ban spells its global fall

The US President Donald Trump has given an ultimatum to the Chinese short-video sharing app TikTok to either sell its US operations to a US-based company or face the ban.

The President believes the Chinese parent company ByteDance is a tool for Chinese Intelligence. However, Trump has reportedly not provided any proof of this accusation.

The accusation, therefore, is being met with criticism from China.&nbsp;

Following the 'final warning' given to ByteDance from trump, the Editor-in-Chief of the state-run media house Global Times took to Twitter to express his displeasure over the whole situation.

Hu Xijin claimed that it is not just the Chinese companies but also the Chinese journalists who have been facing hostility from the Trump administration. He accused the US government of not renewing the visas of the Chinese journalists, and claimed that if situations do not improve, China will retaliate.

“Given that the US side hasn’t renewed visa of Chinese journalists, Chinese side has prepared for the worst scenario that all Chinese journalists have to leave the US,” Hu said on Twitter. “If that’s the case, Chinese side will retaliate, including targeting US journalists based in HK.”

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Based on what I know, after expulsion of more than 60 Chinese journalists by the US, the visa of other Chinese journalists will expire on Aug 6, but none of them have got their visa renewed. China-US conflict of expelling journalists could severely escalate. China will retaliate.
— Hu Xijin 胡锡进 (@HuXijin_GT) <a href="https://twitter.com/HuXijin_GT/status/1290281654653554688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
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This is not the first time the two countries have got into a verbal war regarding journalists. Both the countries have been retaliating actions against each other for a few months now. The US put a limit on the number of Chinese journalists who would get a visa to travel to the US for work, and in return China fired three journalists from&nbsp;New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post.

Global Times is not the only Chinese media house&nbsp;that has expressed concerns about the US actions against Chinese companies.

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China urged some US politicians to stop politicizing economic issues and abusing the concept of national security after US Secretary of State Mike <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pompeo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pompeo</a> said the US plans to take broad action on Chinese software companies. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TikTok?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TikTok</a> <a href="https://t.co/tT8OAT0HLU">https://t.co/tT8OAT0HLU</a>
— China Daily (@ChinaDaily) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChinaDaily/status/1290456839654641666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The&nbsp;China Daily newspaper reported on Tuesday that China will not accept the “theft” of Chinese technology company and will respond to the "bullying" by the US.

“China’s opening-up to the outside world and disintegrating the U.S. decoupling strategy should be priorities,” it said in an editorial.

The report also said Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin has expressed opinion on the situation and has claimed&nbsp;that the US has abused the concept of national security and is threatening a Chinese company without any evidence.&nbsp;"That has violated the principles of the market economy, exposed US hypocrisy of maintaining fairness and its typical double standards, and violated the World Trade Organization's principle of openness, transparency and nondiscrimination," the report quoted Wenbin.

The US President Donald Trump has given an ultimatum to the Chinese short-video sharing app TikTok to either sell its US operations to a US-based company or face the ban.

The US President Donald Trump has given an ultimatum to the Chinese short-video sharing app TikTok to either sell its US operations to a US-based company or face the ban. The President believes the Chinese parent company ByteDance is a tool for Chinese Intelligence. However, Trump has reportedly not provided any proof of this accusation. The accusation, therefore, is being met with criticism from China. Following the 'final warning' given to ByteDance from trump, the Editor-in-Chief of the state-run media house Global Times took to Twitter to express his displeasure over the whole situation. Hu Xijin claimed that it is not just the Chinese companies but also the Chinese journalists who have been facing hostility from the Trump administration. He accused the US government of not renewing the visas of the Chinese journalists, and claimed that if situations do not improve, China will retaliate. “Given that the US side hasn’t renewed visa of Chinese journalists, Chinese side has prepared for the worst scenario that all Chinese journalists have to leave the US,” Hu said on Twitter. “If that’s the case, Chinese side will retaliate, including targeting US journalists based in HK.” Based on what I know, after expulsion of more than 60 Chinese journalists by the US, the visa of other Chinese journalists will expire on Aug 6, but none of them have got their visa renewed. China-US conflict of expelling journalists could severely escalate. China will retaliate. — Hu Xijin 胡锡进 (@HuXijin_GT) August 3, 2020 × This is not the first time the two countries have got into a verbal war regarding journalists. Both the countries have been retaliating actions against each other for a few months now. The US put a limit on the number of Chinese journalists who would get a visa to travel to the US for work, and in return China fired three journalists from New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. Global Times is not the only Chinese media house that has expressed concerns about the US actions against Chinese companies. China urged some US politicians to stop politicizing economic issues and abusing the concept of national security after US Secretary of State Mike #Pompeo said the US plans to take broad action on Chinese software companies. #TikTok https://t.co/tT8OAT0HLU — China Daily (@ChinaDaily) August 4, 2020 × The China Daily newspaper reported on Tuesday that China will not accept the “theft” of Chinese technology company and will respond to the "bullying" by the US. “China’s opening-up to the outside world and disintegrating the U.S. decoupling strategy should be priorities,” it said in an editorial. The report also said Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin has expressed opinion on the situation and has claimed that the US has abused the concept of national security and is threatening a Chinese company without any evidence. "That has violated the principles of the market economy, exposed US hypocrisy of maintaining fairness and its typical double standards, and violated the World Trade Organization's principle of openness, transparency and nondiscrimination," the report quoted Wenbin.

China will retaliate against US bullying Chinese companies and journalists: Chinese media

US President Donald Trump said Monday that popular Chinese-owned video app TikTok would be "out of business" in the United States if it did not sell its US operations by September 15, preferably to an American buyer.

"I set a date of around September 15, at which point it's going to be out of business in the United States," he told reporters.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pathetic-us-president-trump-lashes-out-at-virus-coordinator-317921">'Pathetic!': US President Trump lashes out at virus coordinator</a>

"It'll close down on September 15th unless Microsoft or somebody else is able to buy it and work out a deal."

Trump added pressure on TikTok's parent company ByteDance to reach a deal, after Microsoft confirmed over the weekend that the two sides were in talks and the White House backed off of Trump's threat of an immediate ban.

The United States maintains that TikTok collects users' personal data that the Chinese government can access and make use of for intelligence and other purposes, and the app has been under formal investigation on US national security grounds.

"You can't be controlled, for security reasons, by China. Too big, too invasive," Trump said, approving the Microsoft talks.&nbsp;

Geopolitics and security&nbsp;

Used by as many as a billion people worldwide to make quirky 60 second videos on their cellphones, TikTok is the latest front in the ongoing political and trade battles between Washington and Beijing.

While the company denies its user data goes to the Chinese government, ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming recognized earlier Monday that it was under stiff pressure, and said they were working around-the-clock "for the best outcome."&nbsp;

"We have always been committed to ensuring user data security, as well as the platform neutrality and transparency," Zhang told employees in an internal statement, according to Chinese media.

However, he said, the company faces "mounting complexities across the geopolitical landscape and significant external pressure."&nbsp;

He said the company must confront the challenge from US security bodies and Trump, though "without giving up exploring any possibilities."

According to Britain's The Sun newspaper Monday, as a possible alternative move, ByteDance is planning to relocate TikTok's global operations to Britain.

Pushing back&nbsp;

Also on Monday China's foreign ministry pushed back against US pressure, calling Washington hypocritical for demanding TikTok be sold.

"The US is using an abused concept of national security and, without providing any evidence, is making presumptions of guilt and issuing threats to relevant companies," said spokesperson Wang Wenbin.

"This goes against the principle of market economy and exposes the hypocrisy and typical double standards of the US in upholding so-called fairness and freedom," he said.

Hugely popular with young people around the world, TikTok allows users to create and share videos of up to a minute, featuring dancing and lip syncs, commentary from the silly to serious, and sophisticated artistic clips.

TikTok denies it could be a tool for Chinese intelligence, and says data on its international users is kept on servers outside of China.

But on Sunday Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the data that companies like TikTok are gleaning about Americans "could be their facial recognition pattern; it could be information about their residence, their phone numbers, their friends, who they're connected to."

On Monday Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer said he backed a US company buying TikTok's US operations.

"A US company should buy TikTok so everyone can keep using it and your data is safe," Schumer tweeted Monday.

"With TikTok in China, it's subject to Chinese Communist Party laws that may require handing over data to their government. A safe way must be found for TikTok to continue."

Speaking at the White House Monday, Trump said he preferred if a "very American" company bought all of TikTok, rather than just a large stake.

But he also said that some of the money involved in such a deal should go to the US Treasury, for initiating it.

"A very substantial portion of that price is going to have to come into the Treasury of the United States, because we're making it possible for this deal to happen," Trump told reporters.

"They don't have any rights unless we give it to them," he said.

US President Donald Trump said Monday that popular Chinese-owned video app TikTok would be "out of business" in the United States if it did not sell its US operations by September 15, preferably to an American buyer.

US President Donald Trump said Monday that popular Chinese-owned video app TikTok would be "out of business" in the United States if it did not sell its US operations by September 15, preferably to an American buyer. "I set a date of around September 15, at which point it's going to be out of business in the United States," he told reporters. Also read | 'Pathetic!': US President Trump lashes out at virus coordinator "It'll close down on September 15th unless Microsoft or somebody else is able to buy it and work out a deal." Trump added pressure on TikTok's parent company ByteDance to reach a deal, after Microsoft confirmed over the weekend that the two sides were in talks and the White House backed off of Trump's threat of an immediate ban. The United States maintains that TikTok collects users' personal data that the Chinese government can access and make use of for intelligence and other purposes, and the app has been under formal investigation on US national security grounds. "You can't be controlled, for security reasons, by China. Too big, too invasive," Trump said, approving the Microsoft talks. Geopolitics and security Used by as many as a billion people worldwide to make quirky 60 second videos on their cellphones, TikTok is the latest front in the ongoing political and trade battles between Washington and Beijing. While the company denies its user data goes to the Chinese government, ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming recognized earlier Monday that it was under stiff pressure, and said they were working around-the-clock "for the best outcome." "We have always been committed to ensuring user data security, as well as the platform neutrality and transparency," Zhang told employees in an internal statement, according to Chinese media. However, he said, the company faces "mounting complexities across the geopolitical landscape and significant external pressure." He said the company must confront the challenge from US security bodies and Trump, though "without giving up exploring any possibilities." According to Britain's The Sun newspaper Monday, as a possible alternative move, ByteDance is planning to relocate TikTok's global operations to Britain. Pushing back Also on Monday China's foreign ministry pushed back against US pressure, calling Washington hypocritical for demanding TikTok be sold. "The US is using an abused concept of national security and, without providing any evidence, is making presumptions of guilt and issuing threats to relevant companies," said spokesperson Wang Wenbin. "This goes against the principle of market economy and exposes the hypocrisy and typical double standards of the US in upholding so-called fairness and freedom," he said. Hugely popular with young people around the world, TikTok allows users to create and share videos of up to a minute, featuring dancing and lip syncs, commentary from the silly to serious, and sophisticated artistic clips. TikTok denies it could be a tool for Chinese intelligence, and says data on its international users is kept on servers outside of China. But on Sunday Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the data that companies like TikTok are gleaning about Americans "could be their facial recognition pattern; it could be information about their residence, their phone numbers, their friends, who they're connected to." On Monday Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer said he backed a US company buying TikTok's US operations. "A US company should buy TikTok so everyone can keep using it and your data is safe," Schumer tweeted Monday. "With TikTok in China, it's subject to Chinese Communist Party laws that may require handing over data to their government. A safe way must be found for TikTok to continue." Speaking at the White House Monday, Trump said he preferred if a "very American" company bought all of TikTok, rather than just a large stake. But he also said that some of the money involved in such a deal should go to the US Treasury, for initiating it. "A very substantial portion of that price is going to have to come into the Treasury of the United States, because we're making it possible for this deal to happen," Trump told reporters. "They don't have any rights unless we give it to them," he said.

Donald Trump sets September 15 deadline for TikTok sale

China on Tuesday accused the United States of "outright bullying" after President Trump said the US government ought to get a “substantial portion” of sales coming in from operating the app in the country.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-us-should-get-a-substantial-portion-of-tiktok-sales-317980">Also Read:&nbsp;Trump says US should get a 'substantial portion' of TikTok sales</a>

"It goes against the principles of market economy and the WTO principles of openness, transparency and non-discrimination," China's foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.

Watch:

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The US president has given the Chinese-owned video app six weeks to sell its US operations to an American company while asserting that "it's got to be an American company... it's got to be owned here" even as TikTok's parent company ByteDance said it was evaluating the possibility of establishing TikTok's headquarters outside of the US.

US tech giant Microsoft is an advanced discussion to buy the popular video app from ByteDance subject to security review.

"I set a date of around September 15, at which point it's going to be out of business in the United States," the US president had said as he looked to pressure the Chinese app company.

The app is under scrutiny by the US over national security issues with officials claiming that it collects personal data and would share it with Chinese officials if they demand it.

"The US is using an abused concept of national security and, without providing any evidence, is making presumptions of guilt and issuing threats to relevant companies," China's foreign ministry had said on Monday.

 
&nbsp;

China on Tuesday accused the United States of "outright bullying" after President Trump said the US government ought to get a “substantial portion” of sales coming in from operating the app in the country.

China on Tuesday accused the United States of "outright bullying" after President Trump said the US government ought to get a “substantial portion” of sales coming in from operating the app in the country. Also Read: Trump says US should get a 'substantial portion' of TikTok sales "It goes against the principles of market economy and the WTO principles of openness, transparency and non-discrimination," China's foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said. Watch: The US president has given the Chinese-owned video app six weeks to sell its US operations to an American company while asserting that "it's got to be an American company... it's got to be owned here" even as TikTok's parent company ByteDance said it was evaluating the possibility of establishing TikTok's headquarters outside of the US. US tech giant Microsoft is an advanced discussion to buy the popular video app from ByteDance subject to security review. "I set a date of around September 15, at which point it's going to be out of business in the United States," the US president had said as he looked to pressure the Chinese app company. The app is under scrutiny by the US over national security issues with officials claiming that it collects personal data and would share it with Chinese officials if they demand it. "The US is using an abused concept of national security and, without providing any evidence, is making presumptions of guilt and issuing threats to relevant companies," China's foreign ministry had said on Monday.

'It goes against WTO principles': China accuses US of 'outright bullying' over TikTok

Following Donald Trump's decision to ban the popular video-sharing app TikTok, Microsoft has confirmed that the US-based company is considering to overtake the video-sharing app.

"Following a conversation between Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and President Donald J Trump, Microsoft is prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the United States," the company said in a statement.

The statement came after rumours had been surfacing about Microsoft buying the US operations of TIkTok to save it from a complete closure.&nbsp;

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The US President Donald Trump called for a ban of the app over concerns of the app being used by Chinese intelligence. Immediately after a ban was announced by the President, TikTok expressed its intentions of abandoning its Chinese owner ByteDance to be able to survive in the US.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said earlier on Sunday that the President was set to announce strong action against TikTok. "President Trump has said, 'Enough,' and we're going to fix it," Pompeo said in an interview with a local media house.

"And so he will take action in the coming days with respect to a broad array of national security risks that are presented by software connected to the Chinese Communist Party," he added.

Earlier on Saturday, the TikTok CEO left a message on the app for the users saying,&nbsp;"When it comes to safety and security, we're building the safest app because we know it's the right thing to do," she said.&nbsp;

"So we appreciate the support. We're here for the long run, and continue to share your voice here and let's stand for TikTok," she continued.

Following Donald Trump's decision to ban the popular video-sharing app TikTok, Microsoft has confirmed that the US-based company is considering to overtake the video-sharing app.

Following Donald Trump's decision to ban the popular video-sharing app TikTok, Microsoft has confirmed that the US-based company is considering to overtake the video-sharing app. "Following a conversation between Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and President Donald J Trump, Microsoft is prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the United States," the company said in a statement. The statement came after rumours had been surfacing about Microsoft buying the US operations of TIkTok to save it from a complete closure. × The US President Donald Trump called for a ban of the app over concerns of the app being used by Chinese intelligence. Immediately after a ban was announced by the President, TikTok expressed its intentions of abandoning its Chinese owner ByteDance to be able to survive in the US. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said earlier on Sunday that the President was set to announce strong action against TikTok. "President Trump has said, 'Enough,' and we're going to fix it," Pompeo said in an interview with a local media house. "And so he will take action in the coming days with respect to a broad array of national security risks that are presented by software connected to the Chinese Communist Party," he added. Earlier on Saturday, the TikTok CEO left a message on the app for the users saying, "When it comes to safety and security, we're building the safest app because we know it's the right thing to do," she said. "So we appreciate the support. We're here for the long run, and continue to share your voice here and let's stand for TikTok," she continued.

Microsoft confirms exploring buying TikTok in US after Trump and Nadella talk

The US President Donald Trump on Saturday announced his plans to ban the popular&nbsp;video-sharing app TikTok. However, TikTok has assured that the app is not going anywhere.

Trump has been opposing the popular app claiming he fears that the app is being used by the Chinese intelligence through the app's owner company Bytedance.

However, a new deal is being considered between the White House and the parent-company Bytedance.&nbsp;Under the new proposed deal, ByteDance would exit completely and Microsoft Corp would take over TikTok in the United States, the sources said.

"The administration has very serious national security concerns over TikTok. We continue to evaluate future policy," the White House said in a statement.

To give an opportunity to the America-based investors, the deal will also allow these investors to own minor stakes in the business.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-plans-to-ban-tiktok-may-force-chinese-owner-to-sell-it-317388">Also read:&nbsp;Trump plans to ban TikTok, may force Chinese owner to sell it</a>

As the news spread,&nbsp;TikTok's general manager for the US, Vanessa Pappas, came forward to assure the users of the app that the company was trying to give them the&nbsp;"the safest app".

"We're not planning on going anywhere," Pappas said in a message released on the app.

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To save the app from a nation-wide ban, Bytedance is looking into selling its operations to a US-origin company. There have been local media reports claiming that Microsoft is in talks with the authorities for acquiring the app currently owned by the Chinese company.

However, Microsoft and Bytedance have not yet responded to the reports.

"While we do not comment on rumors or speculation, we are confident in the long-term success of TikTok," representatives of TikTok told the media.

USing the opportunity, Pappas also mentioned that in additiona to the current 1,500 employees, the&nbsp;company is planning to generate an additional 10,000 jobs in the US in the next three years to serve the growing number of users.

"When it comes to safety and security, we're building the safest app because we know it's the right thing to do," she said.&nbsp;

"So we appreciate the support. We're here for the long run, and continue to share your voice here and let's stand for TikTok."

The US President Donald Trump on Saturday announced his plans to ban the popular video-sharing app TikTok. However, TikTok has assured that the app is not going anywhere.

The US President Donald Trump on Saturday announced his plans to ban the popular video-sharing app TikTok. However, TikTok has assured that the app is not going anywhere. Trump has been opposing the popular app claiming he fears that the app is being used by the Chinese intelligence through the app's owner company Bytedance. However, a new deal is being considered between the White House and the parent-company Bytedance. Under the new proposed deal, ByteDance would exit completely and Microsoft Corp would take over TikTok in the United States, the sources said. "The administration has very serious national security concerns over TikTok. We continue to evaluate future policy," the White House said in a statement. To give an opportunity to the America-based investors, the deal will also allow these investors to own minor stakes in the business. Also read: Trump plans to ban TikTok, may force Chinese owner to sell it As the news spread, TikTok's general manager for the US, Vanessa Pappas, came forward to assure the users of the app that the company was trying to give them the "the safest app". "We're not planning on going anywhere," Pappas said in a message released on the app. × To save the app from a nation-wide ban, Bytedance is looking into selling its operations to a US-origin company. There have been local media reports claiming that Microsoft is in talks with the authorities for acquiring the app currently owned by the Chinese company. However, Microsoft and Bytedance have not yet responded to the reports. "While we do not comment on rumors or speculation, we are confident in the long-term success of TikTok," representatives of TikTok told the media. USing the opportunity, Pappas also mentioned that in additiona to the current 1,500 employees, the company is planning to generate an additional 10,000 jobs in the US in the next three years to serve the growing number of users. "When it comes to safety and security, we're building the safest app because we know it's the right thing to do," she said. "So we appreciate the support. We're here for the long run, and continue to share your voice here and let's stand for TikTok."

'Not planning to go anywhere': TikTok responds to Trump's ban announcement

US President Donald Trump has said TikTok would be banned in the country, and that he would he would sign an executive order as soon as Saturday.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said: "As far as TikTok is concerned, we're banning them from the United States."

Additionally, some local media reports&nbsp;have claimed that Trump was trying for TikTok to be divested from its Chinese parent firm on national security grounds. Two of the top-selling newspapers have claimed that Donald Trump wanted to&nbsp;order the sale of TikTok's US operations by China-based ByteDance, citing sharing of data with Chinese intelligence as the reason.

Reports have also claimed that Microsoft is in talks to acquire the famous video-sharing app.

However, no confirmation has been provided by Microsoft or TikTok.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tiktok-owner-bytedance-ditches-us-considers-listing-china-business-in-hong-kong-317211">Also read:&nbsp;TikTok owner ByteDance ditches US, considers listing China business in Hong Kong</a>

Trump's announcement followed frantic negotiations on Friday between the White House, ByteDance and potential buyers of TikTok, including Microsoft Corp. They failed to produce a deal that would result in the Chinese company shedding the app's US&nbsp;operations, according to people familiar with the matter. The talks are expected to continue in the coming days.

Meanwhile, TikTok has refused to comment on the reports being circulated.&nbsp;"We are confident in the long-term success of TikTok. Hundreds of millions of people come to TikTok for entertainment and connection, including our community of creators and artists who are building livelihoods from the platform," TikTok told AFP.

This week, TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer took to social media to express TikTok's commitment to transparency.&nbsp;"We are not political, we do not accept political advertising and have no agenda -- our only objective is to remain a vibrant, dynamic platform for everyone to enjoy," he said.

"TikTok has become the latest target, but we are not the enemy."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/bytedance-investors-value-tiktok-at-50-billion-in-takeover-bid-316980">Also read:&nbsp;ByteDance investors value TikTok at $50 billion in takeover bid</a>

As relations between the United States and China deteriorate over trade, Hong Kong’s autonomy, cyber security and the spread of the novel coronavirus, TikTok has emerged as a flashpoint in the dispute between the world’s two largest economies.

The United States has been increasingly scrutinizing app developers over the personal data they handle, especially if some of it involves U.S. military or intelligence personnel. Ordering the divestment of TikTok would not be the first time the White House has taken action over such concerns.

Earlier this year, Chinese gaming company Beijing Kunlun Tech Co Ltd sold Grindr LLC, a popular gay dating app it bought in 2016, for $620 million after being ordered by CFIUS to divest.

In 2018, CFIUS forced China`s Ant Financial to scrap plans to buy MoneyGram International Inc over concerns about the safety of data that could identify U.S. citizens.

(with inputs from agencies)

US President Donald Trump has said TikTok would be banned in the country, and that he would he would sign an executive order as soon as Saturday. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said: "As far as TikTok is concerned, we're banning them from the United States.

US President Donald Trump has said TikTok would be banned in the country, and that he would he would sign an executive order as soon as Saturday. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said: "As far as TikTok is concerned, we're banning them from the United States." Additionally, some local media reports have claimed that Trump was trying for TikTok to be divested from its Chinese parent firm on national security grounds. Two of the top-selling newspapers have claimed that Donald Trump wanted to order the sale of TikTok's US operations by China-based ByteDance, citing sharing of data with Chinese intelligence as the reason. Reports have also claimed that Microsoft is in talks to acquire the famous video-sharing app. However, no confirmation has been provided by Microsoft or TikTok. Also read: TikTok owner ByteDance ditches US, considers listing China business in Hong Kong Trump's announcement followed frantic negotiations on Friday between the White House, ByteDance and potential buyers of TikTok, including Microsoft Corp. They failed to produce a deal that would result in the Chinese company shedding the app's US operations, according to people familiar with the matter. The talks are expected to continue in the coming days. Meanwhile, TikTok has refused to comment on the reports being circulated. "We are confident in the long-term success of TikTok. Hundreds of millions of people come to TikTok for entertainment and connection, including our community of creators and artists who are building livelihoods from the platform," TikTok told AFP. This week, TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer took to social media to express TikTok's commitment to transparency. "We are not political, we do not accept political advertising and have no agenda -- our only objective is to remain a vibrant, dynamic platform for everyone to enjoy," he said. "TikTok has become the latest target, but we are not the enemy." Also read: ByteDance investors value TikTok at $50 billion in takeover bid As relations between the United States and China deteriorate over trade, Hong Kong’s autonomy, cyber security and the spread of the novel coronavirus, TikTok has emerged as a flashpoint in the dispute between the world’s two largest economies. The United States has been increasingly scrutinizing app developers over the personal data they handle, especially if some of it involves U.S. military or intelligence personnel. Ordering the divestment of TikTok would not be the first time the White House has taken action over such concerns. Earlier this year, Chinese gaming company Beijing Kunlun Tech Co Ltd sold Grindr LLC, a popular gay dating app it bought in 2016, for $620 million after being ordered by CFIUS to divest. In 2018, CFIUS forced China`s Ant Financial to scrap plans to buy MoneyGram International Inc over concerns about the safety of data that could identify U.S. citizens. (with inputs from agencies)

Trump plans to ban TikTok, may force Chinese owner to sell it

Some investors of TikTok’s parent company ByteDance seeking to take over the popular social media app are valuing it at about $50 billion, significantly more than peers such as Snap Inc, according to people familiar with the matter.

Beijing-based ByteDance is considering a range of options for TikTok amid pressure from the United States to relinquish control of the app, which allows users to create short videos with special effects and has become wildly popular with US teenagers. The app’s success has helped turn ByteDance into one of only a handful of truly global Chinese conglomerates.

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), a US government panel which reviews deals by foreign acquirers for potential national security risks, has raised concerns about the safety of the personal data that TikTok handles under its Chinese owner, Reuters has previously reported.

Privately held ByteDance has received a proposal from some of its investors, including Sequoia and General Atlantic, to transfer majority ownership of TikTok to them, the sources said. It has also fielded acquisition interest in TikTok from other companies and investment firms, the sources said.

The investors’ bid values TikTok at 50 times its projected 2020 revenue of about $1 billion, according to the sources. By comparison, Snap is valued at 15 times its projected 2020 revenue, at about $33 billion, according to data provider Refinitiv.

It is unclear whether ByteDance’s founder and CEO, Yiming Zhang, will be satisfied with the offer. ByteDance executives recently discussed valuation projections for TikTok that exceed $50 billion, one of the sources said.

TikTok is growing rapidly as it rakes in more cash from advertising, and its management team expects to achieve $6 billion in revenue in 2021, one of the sources said. ByteDance, which owns other apps including TikTok’s Chinese counterpart, Douyin‎, has set itself a revenue target for 2020 of about 200 billion yuan ($28 billion), Reuters has previously reported.

ByteDance was valued at as much as $140 billion earlier this year when one of its shareholders, Cheetah Mobile Inc, sold a small stake in a private deal, one of the sources said.

If a deal for the whole of TikTok cannot be reached, ByteDance is exploring divesting only TikTok’s US operations, one of the sources said. It is not clear what such a deal would be worth and what ties TikTok in the United States would maintain with its global operations.

There is no certainty that ByteDance will agree to any deal, the sources said. It is pushing ahead with structural changes that will further ringfence the US business of TikTok from its global empire, the sources added. These changes could include a new holding company for TikTok and an independent board, one of the sources said, cautioning that no decision has been made. The company has already separated TikTok operationally from its other apps through dedicated teams.

The sources requested anonymity because the deliberations are confidential.

ByteDance, General Atlantic and Sequoia declined to comment, while Cheetah Mobile and a CFIUS spokeswoman did not respond to requests for comment.

TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer said in a blog post on Wednesday that the company was committed to following US laws, and was allowing experts to observe its moderation policies and examine the code that drives its algorithms.

TARGET OF US LAWMAKERS

As relations between the United States and China deteriorate over trade, Hong Kong’s autonomy, cyber security and the spread of the novel coronavirus, TikTok has emerged as a flashpoint in the dispute between the world’s two largest economies.

Last week, the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs unanimously passed a bill that would bar US federal employees from using TikTok on government-issued devices. It will be taken up by the full Senate for a vote. The House of Representatives has already voted for a similar measure.

President Donald Trump and top administrations officials have said they are considering a broader ban on TikTok and other Chinese-linked apps.

ByteDance acquired Shanghai-based video app Musical.ly app in a $1 billion deal in 2017 and relaunched it as TikTok the following year. About 70% of the equity capital ByteDance has raised from outside investors has come from the United States, according to one of the sources.

Some investors of TikTok’s parent company ByteDance seeking to take over the popular social media app are valuing it at about $50 billion, significantly more than peers such as Snap Inc, according to people familiar with the matter.

Some investors of TikTok’s parent company ByteDance seeking to take over the popular social media app are valuing it at about $50 billion, significantly more than peers such as Snap Inc, according to people familiar with the matter. Beijing-based ByteDance is considering a range of options for TikTok amid pressure from the United States to relinquish control of the app, which allows users to create short videos with special effects and has become wildly popular with US teenagers. The app’s success has helped turn ByteDance into one of only a handful of truly global Chinese conglomerates. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), a US government panel which reviews deals by foreign acquirers for potential national security risks, has raised concerns about the safety of the personal data that TikTok handles under its Chinese owner, Reuters has previously reported. Privately held ByteDance has received a proposal from some of its investors, including Sequoia and General Atlantic, to transfer majority ownership of TikTok to them, the sources said. It has also fielded acquisition interest in TikTok from other companies and investment firms, the sources said. The investors’ bid values TikTok at 50 times its projected 2020 revenue of about $1 billion, according to the sources. By comparison, Snap is valued at 15 times its projected 2020 revenue, at about $33 billion, according to data provider Refinitiv. It is unclear whether ByteDance’s founder and CEO, Yiming Zhang, will be satisfied with the offer. ByteDance executives recently discussed valuation projections for TikTok that exceed $50 billion, one of the sources said. TikTok is growing rapidly as it rakes in more cash from advertising, and its management team expects to achieve $6 billion in revenue in 2021, one of the sources said. ByteDance, which owns other apps including TikTok’s Chinese counterpart, Douyin‎, has set itself a revenue target for 2020 of about 200 billion yuan ($28 billion), Reuters has previously reported. ByteDance was valued at as much as $140 billion earlier this year when one of its shareholders, Cheetah Mobile Inc, sold a small stake in a private deal, one of the sources said. If a deal for the whole of TikTok cannot be reached, ByteDance is exploring divesting only TikTok’s US operations, one of the sources said. It is not clear what such a deal would be worth and what ties TikTok in the United States would maintain with its global operations. There is no certainty that ByteDance will agree to any deal, the sources said. It is pushing ahead with structural changes that will further ringfence the US business of TikTok from its global empire, the sources added. These changes could include a new holding company for TikTok and an independent board, one of the sources said, cautioning that no decision has been made. The company has already separated TikTok operationally from its other apps through dedicated teams. The sources requested anonymity because the deliberations are confidential. ByteDance, General Atlantic and Sequoia declined to comment, while Cheetah Mobile and a CFIUS spokeswoman did not respond to requests for comment. TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer said in a blog post on Wednesday that the company was committed to following US laws, and was allowing experts to observe its moderation policies and examine the code that drives its algorithms. TARGET OF US LAWMAKERS As relations between the United States and China deteriorate over trade, Hong Kong’s autonomy, cyber security and the spread of the novel coronavirus, TikTok has emerged as a flashpoint in the dispute between the world’s two largest economies. Last week, the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs unanimously passed a bill that would bar US federal employees from using TikTok on government-issued devices. It will be taken up by the full Senate for a vote. The House of Representatives has already voted for a similar measure. President Donald Trump and top administrations officials have said they are considering a broader ban on TikTok and other Chinese-linked apps. ByteDance acquired Shanghai-based video app Musical.ly app in a $1 billion deal in 2017 and relaunched it as TikTok the following year. About 70% of the equity capital ByteDance has raised from outside investors has come from the United States, according to one of the sources.

ByteDance investors value TikTok at $50 billion in takeover bid

Countries around the world want to make an example out of TikTok. The popular video app is facing bans with calls for a boycott in multiple countries and users around the world are abandoning the platform.

India was the first country to ban it, now others want to follow suit. Until India banned the app, it was ticking on its way to success. It was creating new social media stars and challenging the domination of the Silicon Valley but all that is history.

With India's ban, the fortunes of TikTok have turned for the worse starting with the United States. In the US, officials in the defence forces and the government cannot install the app on their phones but&nbsp;lawmakers are pushing for broader restrictions.&nbsp;

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The US lawmakers want a complete ban. There is no precedent of a network ban in the US as America has never cut off access to something via internet companies. It can introduce new regulations for app stores and create a new rulebook of sorts that allows the US government to ban apps.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the committee of foreign investment has opened a probe into TikTok. It is a very powerful inter-agency committee in the US which reviews foreign investments on national security grounds, if Tiktok is found guilty, the committee has the power to compel the app to separate from its Chinese ownership that is, if it wants to run its business in America.&nbsp;

The US can in fact force TikTok to divorce its Chinese owners. Australia is another country looking to ban TikTok with lawmakers building pressure for a ban. It began with a report earlier this month with the Herald Sun reporting that one Australian lawmaker is pushing for a ban on TikTok since then others have joined and the chorus it is growing louder.

Senator Jim Molan has claimed that TikTok is being "used and abused" by the Chinese government.&nbsp;&nbsp;A&nbsp;lawmaker from the Labour Party called TikTok before a committee of lawmakers.&nbsp;

TikTok’s representatives were asked to face a panel and they were called to the select committee of foreign interference through social media. It is a committee which looks into foreign interference through social media.&nbsp;

A top executive has already left the company and Tiktok’s owner Bytedance has lost it head of artificial intelligence. Ma Wei-ying will leave by the end of this month.&nbsp;

Tiktok actually saw it coming. The company knew its links to China will hurt it at some point, so, it tried to create a distance between itself and the Communist Party. A separate app was created just for the Chinese market although Tiktok isn’t available in China but it has a different version of the same application called Douyin.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The company hired foreign executives to lead its operations. In May, the company hired an American CEO Kevin Mayer. He had earlier worked with Disney. Mayer is the CEO of TikTok and the COO of its parent company Bytedance with most of the top executives of TikTok being American citizens.&nbsp;

TikTok has hired an army of lobbyists in America to protect its business. TikTok reportedly had no lobbyist in Washington DC a year ago. Now, it has an army of more than 35 lobbyists there. It includes one lobbyist with deep ties to US President Donald Trump.&nbsp;

Countries around the world want to make an example out of TikTok. The popular video app is facing bans with calls for a boycott in multiple countries and users around the world are abandoning the platform.

Countries around the world want to make an example out of TikTok. The popular video app is facing bans with calls for a boycott in multiple countries and users around the world are abandoning the platform. India was the first country to ban it, now others want to follow suit. Until India banned the app, it was ticking on its way to success. It was creating new social media stars and challenging the domination of the Silicon Valley but all that is history. With India's ban, the fortunes of TikTok have turned for the worse starting with the United States. In the US, officials in the defence forces and the government cannot install the app on their phones but lawmakers are pushing for broader restrictions. × The US lawmakers want a complete ban. There is no precedent of a network ban in the US as America has never cut off access to something via internet companies. It can introduce new regulations for app stores and create a new rulebook of sorts that allows the US government to ban apps. Meanwhile, the committee of foreign investment has opened a probe into TikTok. It is a very powerful inter-agency committee in the US which reviews foreign investments on national security grounds, if Tiktok is found guilty, the committee has the power to compel the app to separate from its Chinese ownership that is, if it wants to run its business in America. The US can in fact force TikTok to divorce its Chinese owners. Australia is another country looking to ban TikTok with lawmakers building pressure for a ban. It began with a report earlier this month with the Herald Sun reporting that one Australian lawmaker is pushing for a ban on TikTok since then others have joined and the chorus it is growing louder. Senator Jim Molan has claimed that TikTok is being "used and abused" by the Chinese government. A lawmaker from the Labour Party called TikTok before a committee of lawmakers. TikTok’s representatives were asked to face a panel and they were called to the select committee of foreign interference through social media. It is a committee which looks into foreign interference through social media. A top executive has already left the company and Tiktok’s owner Bytedance has lost it head of artificial intelligence. Ma Wei-ying will leave by the end of this month. Tiktok actually saw it coming. The company knew its links to China will hurt it at some point, so, it tried to create a distance between itself and the Communist Party. A separate app was created just for the Chinese market although Tiktok isn’t available in China but it has a different version of the same application called Douyin. The company hired foreign executives to lead its operations. In May, the company hired an American CEO Kevin Mayer. He had earlier worked with Disney. Mayer is the CEO of TikTok and the COO of its parent company Bytedance with most of the top executives of TikTok being American citizens. TikTok has hired an army of lobbyists in America to protect its business. TikTok reportedly had no lobbyist in Washington DC a year ago. Now, it has an army of more than 35 lobbyists there. It includes one lobbyist with deep ties to US President Donald Trump.

After India, US & Australia eye ban on TikTok

TikTok’s troubles started with India but now it’s a subject of intense scrutiny around the world, not just because it’s a hallmark of China’s soft power but also because of the amount of data that TikTok collects.

As a result, the company could be sitting on an appalling amount of user data. TikTok's 15-second videos were quite the rage a few months back. They were one of the most popular social media apps. Tiktok was a massive hit among young adults but, now the company faces a backlash.

Tiktok has been banned in India and other rivals of China like the United States might ban it too and it's not just diplomacy that’s driving this "techlash". Security researchers have looked under the hood of TikTok as they fear the app is a data collection service masquerading as a social network.

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Apart from details about every video you watch, Tiktok has full knowledge of what you do on the app. It knows the contents of the private messages exchanged on the platform and according to the app’s privacy policy in the US, TikTok collects country location, internet address and the type of device a user possess.

TikTok can also map the exact location, access phone contacts, age, phone number and other social network connections. &nbsp;In June, more criticism came Tiktok’s way after it was found that the app was snooping on the clipboards of users. The feature allows someone to copy and paste data from one app to another. These privacy concerns have led to lawsuits. Last year, a class-action lawsuit was filed against TikTok in California.

TikTok’s Chinese origins don’t help either. Under China’s security law, the company will have to share user data, if the Chinese government demands it. The threat of snooping has led to several bans on TikTok

Beyond India, the US army and navy have banned it. The Australian defence department had banned Tiktok in January. Earlier this month, TikTok was banned from all American government-issued phones. Now, the Trump administration is mulling a complete ban.

"With respect to TikTok, I want to put it in the broader context. We have been engaged in a constant evaluation about ensuring that we protect the privacy of American citizens and their information as it transits, so this doesn't relate to any one particular business or company but rather to American national security, and we are striving to get that right," US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said.

A lawmaker in Australia wants Tiktok banned too even if the app is banned, there is another major concern. Data already collected by Tiktok will remain stored with the company something that could still be accessed by anyone who has access to the servers of TikTok.

TikTok’s troubles started with India but now it’s a subject of intense scrutiny around the world, not just because it’s a hallmark of China’s soft power but also because of the amount of data that TikTok collects.

TikTok’s troubles started with India but now it’s a subject of intense scrutiny around the world, not just because it’s a hallmark of China’s soft power but also because of the amount of data that TikTok collects. As a result, the company could be sitting on an appalling amount of user data. TikTok's 15-second videos were quite the rage a few months back. They were one of the most popular social media apps. Tiktok was a massive hit among young adults but, now the company faces a backlash. Tiktok has been banned in India and other rivals of China like the United States might ban it too and it's not just diplomacy that’s driving this "techlash". Security researchers have looked under the hood of TikTok as they fear the app is a data collection service masquerading as a social network. × Apart from details about every video you watch, Tiktok has full knowledge of what you do on the app. It knows the contents of the private messages exchanged on the platform and according to the app’s privacy policy in the US, TikTok collects country location, internet address and the type of device a user possess. TikTok can also map the exact location, access phone contacts, age, phone number and other social network connections. In June, more criticism came Tiktok’s way after it was found that the app was snooping on the clipboards of users. The feature allows someone to copy and paste data from one app to another. These privacy concerns have led to lawsuits. Last year, a class-action lawsuit was filed against TikTok in California. TikTok’s Chinese origins don’t help either. Under China’s security law, the company will have to share user data, if the Chinese government demands it. The threat of snooping has led to several bans on TikTok Beyond India, the US army and navy have banned it. The Australian defence department had banned Tiktok in January. Earlier this month, TikTok was banned from all American government-issued phones. Now, the Trump administration is mulling a complete ban. "With respect to TikTok, I want to put it in the broader context. We have been engaged in a constant evaluation about ensuring that we protect the privacy of American citizens and their information as it transits, so this doesn't relate to any one particular business or company but rather to American national security, and we are striving to get that right," US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said. A lawmaker in Australia wants Tiktok banned too even if the app is banned, there is another major concern. Data already collected by Tiktok will remain stored with the company something that could still be accessed by anyone who has access to the servers of TikTok.

Despite ban, TikTok's data mapping tools can still fetch user information

A US government national security review of the social media app TikTok is nearly complete and will deliver a recommendation to the White House this week, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Wednesday.

The comments marked the first time the US&nbsp;government has acknowledged that TikTok was under review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which scrutinises deals by foreign acquirers for potential national security risks and is led by Treasury.

"TikTok is under CFIUS review and we'll be making a recommendation to the president on it this week," Mnuchin said. "We have lots of alternatives."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-republicans-worry-china-might-use-tiktok-to-meddle-in-election-316729" hreflang="en">US Republicans worry China might use TikTok to meddle in election</a>

The news comes amid increasing concerns voiced by US officials and lawmakers about TikTok's links to China and its potential use for espionage, an allegation consistently dismissed by the company.

In November last year, the app's Chinese parent company, Beijing ByteDance Technology Co was being probed by CFIUS over its $1 billion purchase of social media app Musical.ly, after lawmakers raised concerns over how it stores personal data as well as allegations of censorship.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japan-lawmakers-to-urge-government-to-put-curbs-on-tiktok-use-316682" hreflang="en">Japan lawmakers to urge government to put curbs on TikTok use</a>

A TikTok representative said the company could not comment on CFIUS matters, but added that TikTok was working to "develop a best-in-class security infrastructure" and promote a safe app experience.

The committee can force ByteDance to unwind the deal, or take other measures to mitigate the national security threat. Reuters reported earlier on Wednesday that ByteDance has received a proposal from some of its investors, including Sequoia and General Atlantic, to transfer majority ownership of TikTok to them. Some ByteDance investors are valuing the popular app at about $50 billion.

Flanked by Mnuchin, President Donald Trump said before leaving the White House on a trip to Texas that "we are looking at TikTok."

The company is under fire in Washington, as relations between the Trump administration and Beijing have grown chilly over the coronavirus and China's moves against Hong Kong. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the administration was considering banning the app, and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said earlier this month that action was coming in weeks.

A US government national security review of the social media app TikTok is nearly complete and will deliver a recommendation to the White House this week, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Wednesday.

A US government national security review of the social media app TikTok is nearly complete and will deliver a recommendation to the White House this week, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Wednesday. The comments marked the first time the US government has acknowledged that TikTok was under review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which scrutinises deals by foreign acquirers for potential national security risks and is led by Treasury. "TikTok is under CFIUS review and we'll be making a recommendation to the president on it this week," Mnuchin said. "We have lots of alternatives." Also read: US Republicans worry China might use TikTok to meddle in election The news comes amid increasing concerns voiced by US officials and lawmakers about TikTok's links to China and its potential use for espionage, an allegation consistently dismissed by the company. In November last year, the app's Chinese parent company, Beijing ByteDance Technology Co was being probed by CFIUS over its $1 billion purchase of social media app Musical.ly, after lawmakers raised concerns over how it stores personal data as well as allegations of censorship. Also read: Japan lawmakers to urge government to put curbs on TikTok use A TikTok representative said the company could not comment on CFIUS matters, but added that TikTok was working to "develop a best-in-class security infrastructure" and promote a safe app experience. The committee can force ByteDance to unwind the deal, or take other measures to mitigate the national security threat. Reuters reported earlier on Wednesday that ByteDance has received a proposal from some of its investors, including Sequoia and General Atlantic, to transfer majority ownership of TikTok to them. Some ByteDance investors are valuing the popular app at about $50 billion. Flanked by Mnuchin, President Donald Trump said before leaving the White House on a trip to Texas that "we are looking at TikTok." The company is under fire in Washington, as relations between the Trump administration and Beijing have grown chilly over the coronavirus and China's moves against Hong Kong. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the administration was considering banning the app, and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said earlier this month that action was coming in weeks.

National security recommendation on TikTok due this week: US Treasury

Chinese conglomerates had once jumped into the global race with technology as the ammo of choice. They fought competitors, raced for users but China's mission failed.

It is game over for China, at least in India. New Delhi has banned 59 Chinese apps including TikTok. Now, PUBG may be next. It is China's most valuable internet conglomerate.&nbsp;

Tencent backs PUBG&nbsp;Mobile and has 10 per cent stakes in its parent company Bluehole. In 2019, PUBG&nbsp;contributed $1.3 billion into Tencent coffers with 24 per cent of PUBG's total downloads from India which is its&nbsp;largest market.

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However, India may soon be shutting its door to the Chinese game. Reports claim that India is considering banning PUBG. It is being examined for data breach and violation of national security.&nbsp;

PUBG is not alone. There are around 275 Chinese apps on the table among them are Zili by Xiaomi, Ali Express by Alibaba, Resso and Ulike by ByteDance.

There are also apps from Chinese companies like Meitu, Perfect corp, Sina corp, Netease games and Lbe tech, if they fail to pass the national security and user privacy tests, they will be out of India.

TikTok's ban was hurtful enough for China as the app lost 200 million users and 30 per cent of its global downloads, they now stand to lose the world's second-largest internet market with 450 million smartphone users.

Chinese conglomerates had once jumped into the global race with technology as the ammo of choice. They fought competitors, raced for users but China's mission failed.

Chinese conglomerates had once jumped into the global race with technology as the ammo of choice. They fought competitors, raced for users but China's mission failed. It is game over for China, at least in India. New Delhi has banned 59 Chinese apps including TikTok. Now, PUBG may be next. It is China's most valuable internet conglomerate. Tencent backs PUBG Mobile and has 10 per cent stakes in its parent company Bluehole. In 2019, PUBG contributed $1.3 billion into Tencent coffers with 24 per cent of PUBG's total downloads from India which is its largest market. × However, India may soon be shutting its door to the Chinese game. Reports claim that India is considering banning PUBG. It is being examined for data breach and violation of national security. PUBG is not alone. There are around 275 Chinese apps on the table among them are Zili by Xiaomi, Ali Express by Alibaba, Resso and Ulike by ByteDance. There are also apps from Chinese companies like Meitu, Perfect corp, Sina corp, Netease games and Lbe tech, if they fail to pass the national security and user privacy tests, they will be out of India. TikTok's ban was hurtful enough for China as the app lost 200 million users and 30 per cent of its global downloads, they now stand to lose the world's second-largest internet market with 450 million smartphone users.

India may ban Tencent-backed PUBG Mobile

Close to 200 Chinese investment proposals are awaiting security clearance from India's Home Ministry. This comes after India changed its Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) rules in the month of April.

WION Dispatch: New rules to hit Chinese firms amid border tensions

The government has banned 47 Chinese apps in India. Near the end of June, 59 Chinese apps had been banned by the government to “protect national interest and security”

Govt bans 47 more Chinese apps in India after 59 apps banned in June

TikTok is indeed China's global soft power.&nbsp;

For some, the app is a harmless video-sharing platform to encouarge hidden talent. However, many people see it as a platform for vulgarity and a national security threat.&nbsp;

Weeks after India officially banned TikTok, the US is thinking on similar lines.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

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The US fears that the data of their citizens is being used by China.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/tiktok-launches-200-million-fund-for-us-creators-despite-senate-ban-315622">TikTok launches $200 million fund for US creators despite Senate ban</a>

Earlier this week, a US Senate approved a bill, which bars federal employees from downloading and using TikTok. It is titled: 'No TikTok on Government Devices Act'.&nbsp;

This means no member or employee of the US Congress, government corporation will be allowed to download TikTok.&nbsp;

Not just TikTok, they are not allowed to download any app developed by TikTok's parent company ByteDance.&nbsp;

So far, the ban is limited to government employees, but there is a rising demand in US that a similar measure should be adopted for the entire American population.&nbsp;

For TikTok, America is its third largest market and the nation contributed to 8 per cent of the company's overall installations between January and June.&nbsp;

They cannot afford another major ouster and so they are presenting a more friendly face. They are injecting more cash to win hearts to the Americans.&nbsp;

TikTok has introduced a $200 million fund to reward American creators, known as TikTok Creator Fund.&nbsp;

The video-creating app will start accepting applications from August 18.&nbsp;

TikTok owners say under this fund, they will offer payouts to influencers who meet a certain baseline for the number of followers. It is also promising to help them collaborate on paid campaigns with brands.&nbsp;

This move is also meant to send out a message to countries like India that have already banned TikTok.&nbsp;

For weeks, the Chinese state media has been pushing propaganda stories about Indian TikTok stars going out of work with the decision by the government.&nbsp;

One article by Global Times headline said: "Indian app users, influencers baffled, hurt by ban of China's TikTok".&nbsp;

They use words like "hurt" and "baffled", which was felt by all the Indians after the Galwan Valley incident in Ladakh, in which 20 Indian Army personnel were martyred.&nbsp;

The Wuhan virus has "baffled" global economies, "hurt" investors, businesses and made thousands jobless, apart from killing millions.&nbsp;

As many as 213 countries and territories have been "hurt" and "baffled" by this pandemic.&nbsp;

Several of these countries are reimposing lockdowns keeping in mind a surge in new cases.&nbsp;

And only one nation has to be blamed for this, whose media gives sermons to India on how not to "hurt" and "baffle" others.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

TikTok is indeed China's global soft power. For some, the app is a harmless video-sharing platform to encouarge hidden talent. However, many people see it as a platform for vulgarity and a national security threat.

TikTok is indeed China's global soft power. For some, the app is a harmless video-sharing platform to encouarge hidden talent. However, many people see it as a platform for vulgarity and a national security threat. Weeks after India officially banned TikTok, the US is thinking on similar lines. Watch | The US fears that the data of their citizens is being used by China. Also read | TikTok launches $200 million fund for US creators despite Senate ban Earlier this week, a US Senate approved a bill, which bars federal employees from downloading and using TikTok. It is titled: 'No TikTok on Government Devices Act'. This means no member or employee of the US Congress, government corporation will be allowed to download TikTok. Not just TikTok, they are not allowed to download any app developed by TikTok's parent company ByteDance. So far, the ban is limited to government employees, but there is a rising demand in US that a similar measure should be adopted for the entire American population. For TikTok, America is its third largest market and the nation contributed to 8 per cent of the company's overall installations between January and June. They cannot afford another major ouster and so they are presenting a more friendly face. They are injecting more cash to win hearts to the Americans. TikTok has introduced a $200 million fund to reward American creators, known as TikTok Creator Fund. The video-creating app will start accepting applications from August 18. TikTok owners say under this fund, they will offer payouts to influencers who meet a certain baseline for the number of followers. It is also promising to help them collaborate on paid campaigns with brands. This move is also meant to send out a message to countries like India that have already banned TikTok. For weeks, the Chinese state media has been pushing propaganda stories about Indian TikTok stars going out of work with the decision by the government. One article by Global Times headline said: "Indian app users, influencers baffled, hurt by ban of China's TikTok". They use words like "hurt" and "baffled", which was felt by all the Indians after the Galwan Valley incident in Ladakh, in which 20 Indian Army personnel were martyred. The Wuhan virus has "baffled" global economies, "hurt" investors, businesses and made thousands jobless, apart from killing millions. As many as 213 countries and territories have been "hurt" and "baffled" by this pandemic. Several of these countries are reimposing lockdowns keeping in mind a surge in new cases. And only one nation has to be blamed for this, whose media gives sermons to India on how not to "hurt" and "baffle" others.

TikTok tries to lure US, send India a message: But who really got 'hurt', 'baffled'?

TikTok unveiled plans for a $200 million "creator fund" to add content from emerging social media personalities to the fast-growing video-sharing app.

The new US fund will "help support ambitious creators who are seeking opportunities to foster a livelihood through their innovative content," said Vanessa Pappas, general manager of TikTok US.

The move comes with TikTok seeing strong momentum, especially among young smartphone users, even as US lawmakers and officials step up warnings about its links to China.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-senate-committee-approves-bill-banning-tiktok-for-federal-employees-315221">US Senate Committee approves bill banning TikTok for federal employees</a>

Pappas said that with the fund, "our creators will be able to realize additional earnings that help reward the care and dedication they put into creatively connecting with an audience that's inspired by their ideas."

The fund will be open in August to US applicants 18 years or older who have a platform following, and post original content in line with its community guidelines. 
The move could help ramp up interest in TikTok, which has seen its user base grow to an estimated one billion.

Until now, TikTok has been using the model of Facebook-owned Instagram, which allows creators to post sponsored videos but without direct remuneration from the platform.

TikTok said this week it plans to add some 10,000 US jobs over the next three years, as it battles complaints over its ties to China.

A unit of China-based holding ByteDance, TikTok has been banned in India and US officials have said they were looking at possible actions against the app.

The US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs&nbsp;unanimously voted on Wednesday to approve a bill to ban federal employees from using China's video-sharing app TikTok on government-issued devices.&nbsp;

Amid reports of a possible spinoff or buyout of the app, TikTok has said the company's structure is under review.

TikTok unveiled plans for a $200 million "creator fund" to add content from emerging social media personalities to the fast-growing video-sharing app. The new US fund will "help support ambitious creators who are seeking opportunities to foster a livelihood through their innovative content," said Vanessa Pappas, general manager of TikTok US.

TikTok unveiled plans for a $200 million "creator fund" to add content from emerging social media personalities to the fast-growing video-sharing app. The new US fund will "help support ambitious creators who are seeking opportunities to foster a livelihood through their innovative content," said Vanessa Pappas, general manager of TikTok US. The move comes with TikTok seeing strong momentum, especially among young smartphone users, even as US lawmakers and officials step up warnings about its links to China. Also read: US Senate Committee approves bill banning TikTok for federal employees Pappas said that with the fund, "our creators will be able to realize additional earnings that help reward the care and dedication they put into creatively connecting with an audience that's inspired by their ideas." The fund will be open in August to US applicants 18 years or older who have a platform following, and post original content in line with its community guidelines. The move could help ramp up interest in TikTok, which has seen its user base grow to an estimated one billion. Until now, TikTok has been using the model of Facebook-owned Instagram, which allows creators to post sponsored videos but without direct remuneration from the platform. TikTok said this week it plans to add some 10,000 US jobs over the next three years, as it battles complaints over its ties to China. A unit of China-based holding ByteDance, TikTok has been banned in India and US officials have said they were looking at possible actions against the app. The US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs unanimously voted on Wednesday to approve a bill to ban federal employees from using China's video-sharing app TikTok on government-issued devices. Amid reports of a possible spinoff or buyout of the app, TikTok has said the company's structure is under review.

TikTok launches $200 million fund for US creators despite Senate ban

The US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has&nbsp;unanimously voted to approve a bill to ban federal employees from using China's video-sharing app TikTok on government-issued devices.&nbsp;

This bill was introduced by Republican Senator Josh Hawley and was approved&nbsp;on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Earlier, a report was released by the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee saying that the United States and its allies have not taken sufficient measures to counter Beijing's efforts at mass surveillance and censorship.&nbsp;

The 58-page long report warned&nbsp;against China's ''mounting influence'' which will transform into "digital authoritarianism" and very soon it will ''write the rules of the Internet as a leading tech superpower if necessary steps are not taken to halt its progress.''

“Three and a half years into the Trump administration, the United States is now on the precipice of losing the future of the cyber domain to China,'' the report stated.

''If China continues to perfect the tools of digital authoritarianism and is able to effectively implement them both domestically and abroad, then China, not the United States and its allies, will shape the digital environment in which most of the world operates.''&nbsp;

The report highlighted China’s use of biometric and facial recognition technology, big data analytics, internet censorship and surveillance of digital communications.

The US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has unanimously voted to approve a bill to ban federal employees from using China's video-sharing app TikTok on government-issued devices.

The US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has unanimously voted to approve a bill to ban federal employees from using China's video-sharing app TikTok on government-issued devices. This bill was introduced by Republican Senator Josh Hawley and was approved on Wednesday. Earlier, a report was released by the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee saying that the United States and its allies have not taken sufficient measures to counter Beijing's efforts at mass surveillance and censorship. The 58-page long report warned against China's ''mounting influence'' which will transform into "digital authoritarianism" and very soon it will ''write the rules of the Internet as a leading tech superpower if necessary steps are not taken to halt its progress.'' “Three and a half years into the Trump administration, the United States is now on the precipice of losing the future of the cyber domain to China,'' the report stated. ''If China continues to perfect the tools of digital authoritarianism and is able to effectively implement them both domestically and abroad, then China, not the United States and its allies, will shape the digital environment in which most of the world operates.'' The report highlighted China’s use of biometric and facial recognition technology, big data analytics, internet censorship and surveillance of digital communications.

US Senate Committee approves bill banning TikTok for federal employees

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign is running&nbsp;Facebook ads&nbsp;claiming that the Chinese-owned short video app TikTok is spying on users.

The ads link to a survey asking whether TikTok, which is owned by Beijing-based tech giant ByteDance, should be banned in the United States. They also ask for respondents' names and contact details.

"TikTok is spying on you,” claimed one ad. “TikTok has been caught red handed by monitoring what is on your phone’s clipboard,” it said.

TikTok&nbsp;is estimated to have close to a billion users worldwide, and has long battled allegations that it is a spying tool for Beijing, pointing out it has an American CEO and consistently denying allegations that it shares user data.

Earlier this month, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the United States was “certainly looking at” banning Chinese social media apps, including TikTok. India banned TikTok and other Chinese apps in June.

Trump blames China for the coronavirus pandemic, which continues to ravage the US, threatening the American economy and the president's reelection.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/they-could-have-stopped-the-virus-but-didnt-trump-lashes-out-at-china-again-314740">They could have stopped the virus but didn't: Trump lashes out at China again</a>

But he also fell victim to&nbsp;TikTok&nbsp;users, who along with legions of K-pop fans, claimed to have sabotaged Trump's campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma last month by reserving blocks of tickets for the event they had no intention of attending. Trump's campaign boasted it had receive a million ticket requests, but only 6,200 people attended.

TikTok has said that it has never provided user data to China and that it would not do so if asked, and a spokeswoman told Reuters on Monday the company has "no higher priority than promoting a safe app experience that protects our users' privacy.”

Last month, when Apple released to developers a test version of its iOS operating system with new privacy features, developers showed images of TikTok's app triggering notifications that it was copying data from users' clipboards, where data is temporarily stored while copying and pasting from one app to another.

TikTok said the notifications were caused by an anti-spam feature but it ended the practice June 27.

TikTok also hit out at Facebook for running the ads. "Facebook is taking money for a political ad that attacks a competitor just as it's preparing to launch a TikTok copycat,” the spokeswoman said in an email to Reuters.

Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company’s photo-sharing app Instagram will soon be expanding its test of a short video format called Reels to the United States, according to media reports.

US President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign is running Facebook ads claiming that the Chinese-owned short video app TikTok is spying on users. The ads link to a survey asking whether TikTok, which is owned by Beijing-based tech giant ByteDance, should be banned in the United States.

US President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign is running Facebook ads claiming that the Chinese-owned short video app TikTok is spying on users. The ads link to a survey asking whether TikTok, which is owned by Beijing-based tech giant ByteDance, should be banned in the United States. They also ask for respondents' names and contact details. "TikTok is spying on you,” claimed one ad. “TikTok has been caught red handed by monitoring what is on your phone’s clipboard,” it said. TikTok is estimated to have close to a billion users worldwide, and has long battled allegations that it is a spying tool for Beijing, pointing out it has an American CEO and consistently denying allegations that it shares user data. Earlier this month, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the United States was “certainly looking at” banning Chinese social media apps, including TikTok. India banned TikTok and other Chinese apps in June. Trump blames China for the coronavirus pandemic, which continues to ravage the US, threatening the American economy and the president's reelection. Also read: They could have stopped the virus but didn't: Trump lashes out at China again But he also fell victim to TikTok users, who along with legions of K-pop fans, claimed to have sabotaged Trump's campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma last month by reserving blocks of tickets for the event they had no intention of attending. Trump's campaign boasted it had receive a million ticket requests, but only 6,200 people attended. TikTok has said that it has never provided user data to China and that it would not do so if asked, and a spokeswoman told Reuters on Monday the company has "no higher priority than promoting a safe app experience that protects our users' privacy.” Last month, when Apple released to developers a test version of its iOS operating system with new privacy features, developers showed images of TikTok's app triggering notifications that it was copying data from users' clipboards, where data is temporarily stored while copying and pasting from one app to another. TikTok said the notifications were caused by an anti-spam feature but it ended the practice June 27. TikTok also hit out at Facebook for running the ads. "Facebook is taking money for a political ad that attacks a competitor just as it's preparing to launch a TikTok copycat,” the spokeswoman said in an email to Reuters. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company’s photo-sharing app Instagram will soon be expanding its test of a short video format called Reels to the United States, according to media reports.

Trump campaign runs Facebook advertisements asking if he should ban TikTok

An adviser to US President Donald Trump has claimed that TikTok could break away from its Chinese parent to avoid a ban. WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma Upadhyay tells you how companies that called China their home are moving away.

Gravitas: Will TikTok distance itself from China?

Hard days for the video-sharing app TikTok are not coming to an end. After India banned the app and the US is looking at a possible ban, Australia too has expressed concern over app's&nbsp;safety issues.

TikTok is owned by a Chinese company called ByteDance and has been alleged of sharing customer data with the Chinese government.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tiktok-in-talks-with-uk-government-for-new-headquarters-in-london-sources-314485">Also read|&nbsp;TikTok in talks with UK government for new headquarters in London: Sources</a>

The company opened an office in Australia in the&nbsp;recent weeks. After the new office was established, offices of both the Home Affairs and Attorney-General are discussing TikTok's operations, the sources said.

Talking about how the government is strictly looking at the privacy issues,&nbsp;Prime Minister Scott Morrison said,&nbsp;"If we consider there is a need to take further action than we are taking now, then I can tell you we won`t be shy about it."

This scrutiny has come after Labor Senator Jenny McAllister urged the government to look into the app's data-sharing app noting that noting 1.6 million young Australians used the app. "Some of these approaches to moderating content might be inconsistent with Australian values," she said in a local radio interview.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/tiktok-may-leave-chinese-parent-company-to-avoid-us-ban-trump-adviser-313981">Also read|&nbsp;TikTok may leave Chinese parent company to avoid US ban: Trump adviser</a>

"For example, removing material about Tiananmen Square, or deprioritising material about Hong Kong protests," she added, referring to student protests in Beijing in 1989 and pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong over the past year.

However, TikTok Australia's&nbsp;General Manager Lee Hunter has written to the Australian government assuring that the company will cooperate, but also raised concern that the app&nbsp;was "being used as a political football".

Hard days for the video-sharing app TikTok are not coming to an end. After India banned the app and the US is looking at a possible ban, Australia too has expressed concern over app's safety issues.

Hard days for the video-sharing app TikTok are not coming to an end. After India banned the app and the US is looking at a possible ban, Australia too has expressed concern over app's safety issues. TikTok is owned by a Chinese company called ByteDance and has been alleged of sharing customer data with the Chinese government. Also read| TikTok in talks with UK government for new headquarters in London: Sources The company opened an office in Australia in the recent weeks. After the new office was established, offices of both the Home Affairs and Attorney-General are discussing TikTok's operations, the sources said. Talking about how the government is strictly looking at the privacy issues, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, "If we consider there is a need to take further action than we are taking now, then I can tell you we won`t be shy about it." This scrutiny has come after Labor Senator Jenny McAllister urged the government to look into the app's data-sharing app noting that noting 1.6 million young Australians used the app. "Some of these approaches to moderating content might be inconsistent with Australian values," she said in a local radio interview. Also read| TikTok may leave Chinese parent company to avoid US ban: Trump adviser "For example, removing material about Tiananmen Square, or deprioritising material about Hong Kong protests," she added, referring to student protests in Beijing in 1989 and pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong over the past year. However, TikTok Australia's General Manager Lee Hunter has written to the Australian government assuring that the company will cooperate, but also raised concern that the app was "being used as a political football".

TikTok faces scrutiny in Australia after India and US raise question on data security

Amid the recent controversies&nbsp;of data sharing and ownership by Chinese company, TikTok is now looking for a new place to park their headquarter offices at.

As per few reports, the multimedia sharing app has been in talks with the UK government to establish their new headquarters in the capital city London.

The move is being understood as yet another try of the company to distance itself from the controversies surrounding it regarding its Chinese ownership.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/tiktok-may-leave-chinese-parent-company-to-avoid-us-ban-trump-adviser-313981">Also read|&nbsp;TikTok may leave Chinese parent company to avoid US ban: Trump adviser</a>

Sources have revealed that London is one of many destinations that the company is looking at. However, no final decision has been taken yet.

No other name of any other city has been revealed. However, some believe that California may be one of the desired locations as the company has hired quite a lot of employees in state of California this year, including poaching Kevin Mayer, a former Walt Disney Co executive, to be TikTok’s chief executive. He is based in the United States.

California is also a desired location as a strategy to put an end to the controversies floating around in the US regarding its possible ban in the country due to its&nbsp;Chinese ownership.

The company, which is already banned in India, is owned by Chinese company called ByteDance.

TikTok has not issued any official statement regarding this, and has refused the request of a comment to various local media organisations.

Amid the recent controversies of data sharing and ownership by Chinese company, TikTok is now looking for a new place to park their headquarter offices at. As per few reports, the multimedia sharing app has been in talks with the UK government to establish their new headquarters in the capital city London.

Amid the recent controversies of data sharing and ownership by Chinese company, TikTok is now looking for a new place to park their headquarter offices at. As per few reports, the multimedia sharing app has been in talks with the UK government to establish their new headquarters in the capital city London. The move is being understood as yet another try of the company to distance itself from the controversies surrounding it regarding its Chinese ownership. Also read| TikTok may leave Chinese parent company to avoid US ban: Trump adviser Sources have revealed that London is one of many destinations that the company is looking at. However, no final decision has been taken yet. No other name of any other city has been revealed. However, some believe that California may be one of the desired locations as the company has hired quite a lot of employees in state of California this year, including poaching Kevin Mayer, a former Walt Disney Co executive, to be TikTok’s chief executive. He is based in the United States. California is also a desired location as a strategy to put an end to the controversies floating around in the US regarding its possible ban in the country due to its Chinese ownership. The company, which is already banned in India, is owned by Chinese company called ByteDance. TikTok has not issued any official statement regarding this, and has refused the request of a comment to various local media organisations.

TikTok in talks with UK government for new headquarters in London: Sources

After being blamed for spreading the coronavirus in the whole world, Chinese technology companies have become an easy target.

Huawei is facing bans,&nbsp;Chinese apps are being boycotted and now&nbsp;the US could be taking inspiration from India on banning Chinese mobile applications.

The US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo&nbsp;had earlier indicated that he could ban Chinese apps such as TikTok. Due to the spreading hatred towards TikTok, its parents company Bytedance could consider selling off TikTok and the White House believes it is possible.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/tiktok-may-leave-chinese-parent-company-to-avoid-us-ban-trump-adviser-313981">Also read|&nbsp;TikTok may leave Chinese parent company to avoid US ban: Trump adviser</a>

Economic adviser Larry Kudlow believes that bleeding Bytedance could cut off its hand to save itself.

“We haven’t made final decisions [on the ban] but as has been reported in some places, I think TikTok is going to pull out of the holding company which is China-run and operate as an independent company,” Kudlow said.

In such a situation, TikTok could slip out of the clutches of the Communist Party.&nbsp;TikTok’s ban is an economic loss for China —&nbsp;something that adds to a long list of troubles for the Communist Party.

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The impact of coronavirus on China’s economy was immense and has triggered a major job&nbsp;crisis.&nbsp;This summer&nbsp;more than eight million Chinese students are set to graduate&nbsp;and are in search of jobs. However, China doesn’t have enough jobs right now.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/india-china-standoff-indian-paratroopers-conduct-air-exercise-in-ladakh-314080">Have a look|&nbsp;India-China standoff: Indian paratroopers conduct air exercise in Ladakh</a>

According to the official data, the urban unemployment rate was around 5.7 per cent in June. It is believed that the&nbsp;actual numbers could be much worse. According to a report, 80 million service sector employees and 20 million manufacturing jobs have been affected by the coronavirus.

In addition, companies are moving out of China. Apple’s supplier Foxconn has announced its plans for India. The manufacturer for iPhones and iPads will invest one billion dollars over the next three years and the money will go towards Foxconn’s plant in Tamil Nadu.

For now, this facility produces lower end variants of the iPhone. After the investment, the plant will make other iPhone models that are produced in China.

Until now, China was facing the threat&nbsp;of economic distancing from the world. However, now companies that called China their home are moving away.

After being blamed for spreading the coronavirus in the whole world, Chinese technology companies have become an easy target. Huawei is facing bans, Chinese apps are being boycotted and now the US could be taking inspiration from India on banning Chinese mobile applications.

After being blamed for spreading the coronavirus in the whole world, Chinese technology companies have become an easy target. Huawei is facing bans, Chinese apps are being boycotted and now the US could be taking inspiration from India on banning Chinese mobile applications. The US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo had earlier indicated that he could ban Chinese apps such as TikTok. Due to the spreading hatred towards TikTok, its parents company Bytedance could consider selling off TikTok and the White House believes it is possible. Also read| TikTok may leave Chinese parent company to avoid US ban: Trump adviser Economic adviser Larry Kudlow believes that bleeding Bytedance could cut off its hand to save itself. “We haven’t made final decisions [on the ban] but as has been reported in some places, I think TikTok is going to pull out of the holding company which is China-run and operate as an independent company,” Kudlow said. In such a situation, TikTok could slip out of the clutches of the Communist Party. TikTok’s ban is an economic loss for China — something that adds to a long list of troubles for the Communist Party. The impact of coronavirus on China’s economy was immense and has triggered a major job crisis. This summer more than eight million Chinese students are set to graduate and are in search of jobs. However, China doesn’t have enough jobs right now. Have a look| India-China standoff: Indian paratroopers conduct air exercise in Ladakh According to the official data, the urban unemployment rate was around 5.7 per cent in June. It is believed that the actual numbers could be much worse. According to a report, 80 million service sector employees and 20 million manufacturing jobs have been affected by the coronavirus. In addition, companies are moving out of China. Apple’s supplier Foxconn has announced its plans for India. The manufacturer for iPhones and iPads will invest one billion dollars over the next three years and the money will go towards Foxconn’s plant in Tamil Nadu. For now, this facility produces lower end variants of the iPhone. After the investment, the plant will make other iPhone models that are produced in China. Until now, China was facing the threat of economic distancing from the world. However, now companies that called China their home are moving away.

As Chinese tech giants become global targets, Bytedance may sell off TikTok

US President Donald Trump's economic adviser Larry Kudlow has said that TikTok may cut off ties to its Chinese parent and become a 100 per cent American company to circumvent demands to ban it as India has done. 
 
"I think TikTok is going to pull out of the holding company which is China-run and operate as an independent American company," he told reporters at the White House on Thursday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-attorney-general-blasts-american-firms-for-kowtowing-to-beijing-313919">US attorney general blasts American firms for 'kowtowing' to Beijing</a>

The US has not made a final decision on whether to ban it, which has been suggested by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, he said. 
 
TikTok being divested by ByteDance Technology Company "is a much better solution than banning or pushing away", said Kudlow, who is the Director of the National Economic Council.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-administration-action-on-risks-posed-by-tiktok-likely-in-weeks-white-house-313604">Trump administration action on risks posed by TikTok likely 'in weeks': White House</a>

He said that its services will be located in the US and "it will become an hundred per cent American company". 
 
If it becomes a US company without Chinese links, India may have to reconsider the ban on the short video app wildly popular in the country. 
 
India banned TikTok along with 58 other Chinese apps on June 29 citing threats to its defence and national security. 
 
The ban came after a deadly clash between Indian and Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh. 
 
Under Beijing's National Security Law, all Chinese companies have to provide intelligence requested by the government, creating risks for users and their countries. 
 
India was TikTok's biggest market outside of China, where it operates as Douyin. There were about 200 million users in India and over 300 million downloads. The United States comes next with over 30 million users for the app.

US President Donald Trump's economic adviser Larry Kudlow has said that TikTok may cut off ties to its Chinese parent and become a 100 per cent American company to circumvent demands to ban it as India has done.

US President Donald Trump's economic adviser Larry Kudlow has said that TikTok may cut off ties to its Chinese parent and become a 100 per cent American company to circumvent demands to ban it as India has done. "I think TikTok is going to pull out of the holding company which is China-run and operate as an independent American company," he told reporters at the White House on Thursday. Also read: US attorney general blasts American firms for 'kowtowing' to Beijing The US has not made a final decision on whether to ban it, which has been suggested by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, he said. TikTok being divested by ByteDance Technology Company "is a much better solution than banning or pushing away", said Kudlow, who is the Director of the National Economic Council. Also read| Trump administration action on risks posed by TikTok likely 'in weeks': White House He said that its services will be located in the US and "it will become an hundred per cent American company". If it becomes a US company without Chinese links, India may have to reconsider the ban on the short video app wildly popular in the country. India banned TikTok along with 58 other Chinese apps on June 29 citing threats to its defence and national security. The ban came after a deadly clash between Indian and Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh. Under Beijing's National Security Law, all Chinese companies have to provide intelligence requested by the government, creating risks for users and their countries. India was TikTok's biggest market outside of China, where it operates as Douyin. There were about 200 million users in India and over 300 million downloads. The United States comes next with over 30 million users for the app.

TikTok may leave Chinese parent company to avoid US ban: Trump adviser

After India banned Chinese video-sharing social networking service TikTok, a petition has been filed in Lahore High Court on Tuesday seeking a ban on the popular social media platform in Pakistan owing to its 'vulgar content'. 
 
Advocate Nadeem Sarwar moved the application on behalf of a citizen who is a petitioner in the main petition pending with the court, The Dawn reported.

According to the petition filed by the advocate Sarwar, the video-sharing app has a disastrous effect on the youth of Pakistan as it is not only leading to wastage of time and money but also peddling vulgarity. 
 
He said more than 10 deaths had been reported in the country in incidents relating to the users of the application.

Moreover, he said, the video-sharing application had become a source of spreading pornography for the sake of fame and ratings on social media.

In the petition, the advocate has requested the Lahore high court to issue directives for Pakistan telecommunication authority to impose a permanent ban on the use of TikTok in the Islamic republic.

Earlier this month, Pakistan had banned the popular battle royale game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds aka PUBG. PUBG had been cited as one of the reasons for cases of suicide in Pakistan. The temporary ban comes days after India clutched down on 59 Chinese apps and banned them. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

After India banned Chinese video-sharing social networking service TikTok, a petition has been filed in Lahore High Court on Tuesday seeking a ban on the popular social media platform in Pakistan owing to its 'vulgar content'.

After India banned Chinese video-sharing social networking service TikTok, a petition has been filed in Lahore High Court on Tuesday seeking a ban on the popular social media platform in Pakistan owing to its 'vulgar content'. Advocate Nadeem Sarwar moved the application on behalf of a citizen who is a petitioner in the main petition pending with the court, The Dawn reported. According to the petition filed by the advocate Sarwar, the video-sharing app has a disastrous effect on the youth of Pakistan as it is not only leading to wastage of time and money but also peddling vulgarity. He said more than 10 deaths had been reported in the country in incidents relating to the users of the application. Moreover, he said, the video-sharing application had become a source of spreading pornography for the sake of fame and ratings on social media. In the petition, the advocate has requested the Lahore high court to issue directives for Pakistan telecommunication authority to impose a permanent ban on the use of TikTok in the Islamic republic. Earlier this month, Pakistan had banned the popular battle royale game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds aka PUBG. PUBG had been cited as one of the reasons for cases of suicide in Pakistan. The temporary ban comes days after India clutched down on 59 Chinese apps and banned them. (With inputs from agencies)

Plea seeks TikTok ban in Pakistan, says it is peddling vulgarity

The Indian Army has asked its personnel to delete 89 apps from their phones that include Facebook, TikTok, PUBG&nbsp;and Instagram.

It comes days after the government banned 59 Chinese apps following the India-China stand-off at Galwan Valley. The Army has added more apps to the list to plug the leak of classified information. India is not the first country to resort to this move, several militaries across the world have been pulling their guard against suspicious apps.

Soldiers with smartphones can be easy targets for the enemy especially at a border with war-mongering China. Cell phones are fearfully insecure with simple malware trap it could reveal strategic locations and positions. The Indian army has therefore banned the use of 89 apps with some very popular ones like Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.

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Now, soldiers must immediately uninstall them from video-streaming apps like Zoom to dating apps like Tinder. In fact, the armed forces had banned TikTok and Wechat much before the Indian government. For soldiers, a smartphone can be a morale booster but it can also undermine operational security. India is not the only country that has banned apps for the army. Countries like Turkey and Russia have banned the use of smartphones altogether at forward posts.

China warned its troops against cab-hailing apps saying they pose security risks. GPS detectors could pass on the user's location and personal information. China claimed hackers were collecting location data around military installations. In January, the US defence forces banned TikTok after a Pentagon directive. Now, the US navy has gone on a Twitter rant advising its sailors to not&nbsp;use TikTok.&nbsp;

"Guard up" says the Naval chief of information, "you don't need to be a think-tank expert to know that information control is important to the Chinese govt" the naval information chief added.

In 2017, Israeli Army had launched a smartphone for its soldiers, the encrypted phones allowed soldiers to send text messages, images and e-mails securely but since 2017, Hamas has tried thrice to honeytrap Israeli defence staff through dating apps. They attempted to dupe troops by posing as Israeli women. Now, Israel has put up posters in barracks saying "the enemy is listening, don't let Hamas entice you."

In 2016, Indonesia banned police and military personnel from playing pokemon go. The move came after a Frenchman entered a military base hunting for virtual pocket monsters which is&nbsp;done by visiting real-world sites, guided by the app.

Just a week before the police had fought off a gunman and foiled a suicide bombing attempt outside a police station. Some intelligence agencies are not only tracking troop movements, they also follow individuals when they go home.

Some NATO personnel in the Baltics and their families were apparently traced by Russian entities. Enemies will always exploit vulnerabilities - technological and human - smartphone apps expose both the weaknesses at once as social media posts can help find and track soldiers and pull the curtain on military activity.

The Indian Army has asked its personnel to delete 89 apps from their phones that include Facebook, TikTok, PUBG and Instagram. It comes days after the government banned 59 Chinese apps following the India-China stand-off at Galwan Valley.

The Indian Army has asked its personnel to delete 89 apps from their phones that include Facebook, TikTok, PUBG and Instagram. It comes days after the government banned 59 Chinese apps following the India-China stand-off at Galwan Valley. The Army has added more apps to the list to plug the leak of classified information. India is not the first country to resort to this move, several militaries across the world have been pulling their guard against suspicious apps. Soldiers with smartphones can be easy targets for the enemy especially at a border with war-mongering China. Cell phones are fearfully insecure with simple malware trap it could reveal strategic locations and positions. The Indian army has therefore banned the use of 89 apps with some very popular ones like Facebook, TikTok and Instagram. × Now, soldiers must immediately uninstall them from video-streaming apps like Zoom to dating apps like Tinder. In fact, the armed forces had banned TikTok and Wechat much before the Indian government. For soldiers, a smartphone can be a morale booster but it can also undermine operational security. India is not the only country that has banned apps for the army. Countries like Turkey and Russia have banned the use of smartphones altogether at forward posts. China warned its troops against cab-hailing apps saying they pose security risks. GPS detectors could pass on the user's location and personal information. China claimed hackers were collecting location data around military installations. In January, the US defence forces banned TikTok after a Pentagon directive. Now, the US navy has gone on a Twitter rant advising its sailors to not use TikTok. "Guard up" says the Naval chief of information, "you don't need to be a think-tank expert to know that information control is important to the Chinese govt" the naval information chief added. In 2017, Israeli Army had launched a smartphone for its soldiers, the encrypted phones allowed soldiers to send text messages, images and e-mails securely but since 2017, Hamas has tried thrice to honeytrap Israeli defence staff through dating apps. They attempted to dupe troops by posing as Israeli women. Now, Israel has put up posters in barracks saying "the enemy is listening, don't let Hamas entice you." In 2016, Indonesia banned police and military personnel from playing pokemon go. The move came after a Frenchman entered a military base hunting for virtual pocket monsters which is done by visiting real-world sites, guided by the app. Just a week before the police had fought off a gunman and foiled a suicide bombing attempt outside a police station. Some intelligence agencies are not only tracking troop movements, they also follow individuals when they go home. Some NATO personnel in the Baltics and their families were apparently traced by Russian entities. Enemies will always exploit vulnerabilities - technological and human - smartphone apps expose both the weaknesses at once as social media posts can help find and track soldiers and pull the curtain on military activity.

Indian Army asks soldiers to delete 89 apps; Facebook, PUBG, Instagram knocked out

Social media app TikTok said on Thursday it removed more than 49 million videos from its platform in the second half of last year for violating its guidelines.

These videos accounted for less than 1% of the total posted on the platform and fell under categories such as "violent and graphic content, hate speech and adult nudity", it said in a report (here) released on its website.

About one-third of the videos were from India, followed by the United States and Pakistan, it added.

The transparency report comes days after the company owned by China’s ByteDance was banned from India, one of its biggest markets, after a Sino-India border clash. The short-form video making app also decided to exit the Hong Kong market following China’s establishment of a sweeping new national security law for the semi-autonomous city.

TikTok launched a new platform to court small business advertisers on Wednesday. The platform, however, was fraught with challenges, especially after the Trump administration’s threat this week to impose a ban on China-based social media apps.

Social media app TikTok said on Thursday it removed more than 49 million videos from its platform in the second half of last year for violating its guidelines. These videos accounted for less than 1% of the total posted on the platform and fell under categories such as "violent and graphic content, hate speech and adult nudity", it said in a report (here) released on its website.

Social media app TikTok said on Thursday it removed more than 49 million videos from its platform in the second half of last year for violating its guidelines. These videos accounted for less than 1% of the total posted on the platform and fell under categories such as "violent and graphic content, hate speech and adult nudity", it said in a report (here) released on its website. About one-third of the videos were from India, followed by the United States and Pakistan, it added. The transparency report comes days after the company owned by China’s ByteDance was banned from India, one of its biggest markets, after a Sino-India border clash. The short-form video making app also decided to exit the Hong Kong market following China’s establishment of a sweeping new national security law for the semi-autonomous city. TikTok launched a new platform to court small business advertisers on Wednesday. The platform, however, was fraught with challenges, especially after the Trump administration’s threat this week to impose a ban on China-based social media apps.

TikTok says removed over 49 million videos in second half of 2019

After India banned China's TikTok app, US President Donald Trump said that the US is "looking at" banning the Chinese app.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/us-probing-allegations-tiktok-violated-childrens-privacy-sources-311504">Also Read:&nbsp;US probing allegations TikTok violated children's privacy</a>

Trump while speaking to a US television network said: "It's something we're looking at," when the interviewer&nbsp;asked him about a possible ban.

"It's big business. Look, what happened with China with this virus, what they've done to this country and to the entire world is disgraceful," Trump said.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had earlier said the Trump administration was looking at banning Chinese apps including Tik Tok.

However, China's foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that "remarks made by some politicians in the US are totally groundless and a malicious smear" on Trump's comment on TikTok and COVID-19.

Last week India had banned 59 Chinese apps including TikTok which is owned by China's ByteDance amid clashes between Indian and Chinese troops at the Line of Control(LAC) on June 15 which left 20 Indian soldiers dead.

TikTok Chief Executive Kevin Mayer had said the Chinese government has never requested user data, nor would the company turn it over if asked. "If we do ever receive such a request in the future, we would not comply," Mayer said in a statement.

TikTok was launched in India three years ago and had become one of the most popular apps adding millions of users as Indian youth took to it in large numbers fascinated by the short video clips.

The Indian government had cited "safety" and "sovereignty of Indian cyberspace" as reasons for banning the Chinese app.

The others apps banned included SHarit, Kwai, UC Browser, Baidu map, Shein, clash of Kings, DU battery saver, Helo, Likee, YouCam makeup, Mi Community, CM Browsers, Virus Cleaner, Apus Browser. 
&nbsp;

After India banned China's TikTok app, US President Donald Trump said that the US is "looking at" banning the Chinese app. Also Read: US probing allegations TikTok violated children's privacy Trump while speaking to a US television network said: "It's something we're looking at," when the interviewer asked him about a possible ban.

After India banned China's TikTok app, US President Donald Trump said that the US is "looking at" banning the Chinese app. Also Read: US probing allegations TikTok violated children's privacy Trump while speaking to a US television network said: "It's something we're looking at," when the interviewer asked him about a possible ban. "It's big business. Look, what happened with China with this virus, what they've done to this country and to the entire world is disgraceful," Trump said. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had earlier said the Trump administration was looking at banning Chinese apps including Tik Tok. However, China's foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that "remarks made by some politicians in the US are totally groundless and a malicious smear" on Trump's comment on TikTok and COVID-19. Last week India had banned 59 Chinese apps including TikTok which is owned by China's ByteDance amid clashes between Indian and Chinese troops at the Line of Control(LAC) on June 15 which left 20 Indian soldiers dead. TikTok Chief Executive Kevin Mayer had said the Chinese government has never requested user data, nor would the company turn it over if asked. "If we do ever receive such a request in the future, we would not comply," Mayer said in a statement. TikTok was launched in India three years ago and had become one of the most popular apps adding millions of users as Indian youth took to it in large numbers fascinated by the short video clips. The Indian government had cited "safety" and "sovereignty of Indian cyberspace" as reasons for banning the Chinese app. The others apps banned included SHarit, Kwai, UC Browser, Baidu map, Shein, clash of Kings, DU battery saver, Helo, Likee, YouCam makeup, Mi Community, CM Browsers, Virus Cleaner, Apus Browser.

Now, Trump considers banning China's TikTok

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