Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Laura Ingraham’s show last night that the U.S. is “looking at” banning the China-based social media platform TikTok:
Sec. Pompeo when asked if the Administration has considered banning TikTok: “We’re certainly looking at it.” pic.twitter.com/N9NmbDOka0
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) July 7, 2020
Transcript here:
Q: Shouldn’t we be considering right now, tonight, a ban on Chinese social media apps, especially TikTok?
SECRETARY POMPEO: …We’re taking this very seriously. We’re certainly looking at it. https://t.co/L9Geq1VsRZ— Jonathan Cheng (@JChengWSJ) July 7, 2020
Sec. Pompeo also called out China for the “Orwellian assaults on the rights and freedoms of the Hong Kong people”:
With the ink barely dry on the draconian National Security Law, HK authorities are now removing books from libraries, banning political slogans, and requiring censorship in schools. The U.S. condemns these Orwellian assaults on the rights and freedoms of the Hong Kong people.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) July 7, 2020
In response to Sec. Pompeo, TikTok released this statement, noting they have an American CEO and saying “we have no higher priority than promoting a safe and secure app experience for our users. We have never provided user data to the Chinese government, nor would we do so if asked”:
TikTok’s statement to Pompeo’s comments about looking into banning Chinese social media apps — a clear reason why the company hired an American CEO (aka Kevin Mayer)https://t.co/YwHZIjZahc pic.twitter.com/CM9dp7abxS
— Kerry Flynn ? (@kerrymflynn) July 7, 2020
Yeah, OK. India has already banned the app:
#TikTok removed from Android, Apple play store pic.twitter.com/sWZniWJshW
— The Times Of India (@timesofindia) June 30, 2020
And TikTok is voluntarily pulling out of Hong Kong as the new national security law would force the company to give data to the Chinese Communist Party:
“In light of recent events, we’ve decided to stop operations of the @tiktok_us app in #HongKong,” TikTok tells @CNBC. TikTok parent is #China’s @BytedanceTalk & is scrutinized by Congress, @SecPompeo that it could cave to Beijing demands. Exiting HK mitigates that vulnerability.
— Eunice Yoon (@onlyyoontv) July 7, 2020
So, will that be good enough to keep the U.S. from banning the company? Stay tuned. . .
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