Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Trump Considering Banning TikTok and Other Chinese Social Media Apps


The United States is "looking at" banning Chinese social media apps, including TikTok, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday, reports CNN.

Pompeo suggested the possible move during an interview with Fox News' Laura Ingraham, adding that "we're taking this very seriously."

"With respect to Chinese apps on people's cell phones, I can assure you the United States will get this one right too, Laura," he said. "I don't want to get out in front of the President [Trump], but it's something we're looking at.

Pompeo added that people should only download the app "if you want your private information in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party."

TikTok — which is owned by Beijing-based startup ByteDance--has exploded in popularity in the United States and other western countries, becoming the first Chinese social media platform to gain significant traction with users outside of its home country, according to CNN. It was downloaded 315 million times in the first three months of this year, more quarterly downloads than any other app in history, according to analytics company Sensor Tower.

Trump's China hating trade advisor Peter Navarro must be all over this ban idea.

Of course, it does nothing but raise tensions with China for no good reason. Unless Trump is somehow storing the nuclear codes on the app, it is difficult to see any serious national security threat.

What this does from Trump's perspective is make him look "tough against China" with his voting base.

And Pompeo, being the crazed neocon that he is, has no problem escalating things with China.

-RW


2 comments:

  1. If the premises differ, your conclusion must also vary. For example, if some apps can copy and send the contents of your phone's clipboard and other databanks, one's proper conclusion would be not to avoid fear, but to be very fearful.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sets precedent for banning other apps.
    Beware

    ReplyDelete