Tensions between the United States and China continue to simmer with the United States to ban Tik Tok. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a TV interview on Monday that Washington was “certainly looking at” banning Chinese social media apps including Tik Tok.
“I don’t want to get out in front of the President (Donald Trump), but it’s something we’re looking at,” Pompeo said in an interview with Fox News, As the presenter queried and pushed him to confirm that the United States to ban Tik Tok
The development comes a few days after India announced it was boycotting 59 Chinese mobile apps following a deadly clash between China and India, resulting in at least 20 soldiers of the latter getting killed.
Tik Tok has also announced that it will ban its social media sharing apps working in Hong Kong after the passing of a new law, which requires the app to share information with the Chinese Government.
India bans Tik Tok
China, last week, expressed concern over India’s ban on Chinese mobile apps, which included Tik Tok. And analysts did suggest that the ban was pushed by Washington to build pressure on the Chinese government.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters during a daily briefing that India has a responsibility to uphold the rights of Chinese businesses.
The banned Chinese mobile apps include Bytedance’s TikTok, Alibaba’s UC Browser, and Tencent’s WeChat with New Delhi undertaking the move, citing security concerns.
The apps are “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order”, the ministry of information technology said.
The ban comes after a deadly border conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations earlier this month in which 20 Indian soldiers have died.
“The Ministry of Information Technology, invoking it’s power under section 69A of the Information Technology Act read with the relevant provisions of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules 2009 and in view of the emergent nature of threats has decided to block 59 apps since in view of the information available they are engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order,” the press release said.
India’s Minister for Electronics and Information Technology and Communications Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the step was taken for “safety, security, defence, sovereignty and integrity of India.”
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