We told you earlier today that President Trump has been threatening to ban TikTok in the US, and tonight he said that he's going to go through with it.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One tonight, Trump explained that he planned to ban TikTok in the US using an executive order or emergency economic powers. "As far as TikTok is concerned we're banning them from the United States," the president said.
Pool report via main print pooler David Cloud/LAT pic.twitter.com/RDV8LjnLLQ
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) August 1, 2020
We've been hearing lately that the president was considering banning TikTok, with the US government concerned about TikTok owner ByteDance that's based in China. The government is said to have national security concerns about the app, fearing that the Chinese government could use it to collect data on US citizens.
Trump also said that he was opposed to a deal that would allow a US company to buy TikTok's American business. Rumors began swirling earlier today that Microsoft is in talks to buy TikTok's US operations.
In response to President Trump's statement, a TikTok spokesperson gave the following statement to Engadget:
"These are the facts: 100 million Americans come to TikTok for entertainment and connection, especially during the pandemic. We've hired nearly 1,000 people to our US team this year alone, and are proud to be hiring another 10,000 employees into great paying jobs across the US. Our $1 billion creator fund supports US creators who are building livelihoods from our platform. TikTok US user data is stored in the US, with strict controls on employee access. TikTok's biggest investors come from the US. We are committed to protecting our users' privacy and safety as we continue working to bring joy to families and meaningful careers to those who create on our platform."
TikTok is one of the most popular social apps around, having been downloaded more than 2 billion times on Android and iOS to date. It's unclear how the president could ban TikTok in the US, especially with the app having amassed so many downloads and living on so many users phones. However, he says that he's planning to take action against the app as soon as tomorrow, so it may not be long before we learn more about how this'll all play out. Stay tuned.
