The United States is currently considering banning Chinese social media apps, including the widely popular TikTok, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview Monday with Fox News. 'With respect to Chinese apps on people's cell phones, I can assure you the United States will get this one right too,' he said. 'I don't want to get out in front of the president, but it's something we're looking at.' The reason for a potential ban is due to the possibility that users' private information could be shared with the Chinese government, with Pompeo adding that users should only download the app 'if you want your private information in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.' Owned by Chinese company ByteDance, TikTok is the fastest growing app and social media platform in the world. It's the seventh most downloaded app of the decade with over two billion downloads, and it boasts a user base in the hundreds of millions. Coinciding with rising tensions between the US and China, the app has frequently been cited by US politicians as a national security threat. However, others have also noted the app's security flaws. A 2020 research report by Israeli cybersecurity firm Check Point revealed that hackers can exploit flaws in the app to send messages that could take over accounts and access private videos and information. TikTok issued a statement attempting to assuage worries of private data being sent to China. 'TikTok is led by an American CEO, with hundreds of employees and key leaders across safety, security, product, and public policy here in the US,' a TikTok spokesperson said, CNN reported. '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.' The app has maintained that it operates separately from its owners in Beijing, and that its data centers are all located outside of China and are not subjected to Chinese law, CNN reported. The US is not alone in threatening to ban the popular app. Last week, India said it would ban TikTok along with other Chinese apps such as WeChat because they could pose a 'threat to sovereignty and integrity.' This announcement came amid rising tensions between the two neighboring countries following clashes along the Himalayan border.
