Donald Trump said: "As far as regarding TikTok, we are banning them from the United States."
Washington, DC:
President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would ban TikTok's application of fast-growing social media in the United States, as U.S. officials expressed fears that the service would be a tool for Chinese intelligence.
In recent weeks, US officials and lawmakers have expressed concerns about the use of the highly popular video platform by Beijing for nefarious purposes, but the company has denied any connection with the Chinese government.
Media circulated earlier on Friday saying Trump would demand the stripping of U.S. app operations from Chinese parent company ByteDance, but the president announced a ban.
“As for TikTok, we are banning them in the United States,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
He added he would take action early on Saturday using emergency economic force or by executive order.
Trump's move comes after a review of the U.S. Foreign Investment Commission (CFIUS), which is investigating agreements that affect U.S. national security.
TikTok, which is especially popular among the younger audience that creates and watches short videos, has about a billion users around the world.
In response to a question from Agence France Presse, TikTok declined to comment on forced sales reports, saying only, "We are confident of TikTok's long-term success.
“ Millions of people come to TikTok for entertainment and communication, including our community of creators and artists building livelihoods from the platform.”
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