Trump joined the Chinese-owned social media platform after his landmark hush money conviction and after Biden signed a bill that can ban TikTok, used by 170 million Americans. As president, Trump tried to unsuccessfully ban the app citing a threat to national security threat.
It was recently reported that ByteDance- the founder of TikTok (short format video sharing platform) has instructed its engineers to divide the source code of its recommendation algorithm specifically for the US- a claim that TikTok denies.
TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance sued in U.S. federal court on Tuesday seeking to block a law signed by President Joe Biden that would force the divestiture of the short video app used by 170 million Americans or ban its use.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday called on China to provide a level playing field for American businesses as he began a visit aimed at resolving a raft of contentious issues that could jeopardise the newly repaired relationship.
Biden signed the $95 billion war aid measure package into law that includes military assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, along with a provision for TikTok to be sold or banned in the US. The military package was passed by the Senate earlier after months of delays.
The US Senate passed legislation that would require Chinese owner ByteDance to divest TikTok's US operations within about nine months or face a ban.
The measure is also the latest in a series of moves in Washington to respond to US national security concerns about China, from connected vehicles to advanced artificial intelligence chips to cranes at US ports.
The government blocked TikTok along with other 59 Chinese applications because of security concerns. Since then, India has banned over 300 Chinese apps, including Shareit, WeChat, Likee, Helo and more. The government has also blocked several betting and loan apps in the last few years too.
At a daily news briefing in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin condemned the move. US President Joe Biden has said if Congress passes the measure, he will sign it.
The measure is also the latest in a series of moves in Washington to respond to US national security concerns about China, from connected vehicles to advanced artificial intelligence chips to cranes at US ports.
National security officials have constantly warned of the potential risks of TikTok in the US, saying it could be used to spy on Americans or spread misinformation. Trump sought to ban TikTok and Chinese-owned WeChat in 2020 under his presidency, but was blocked by the courts.
A senator said that there were concerns about the use of social media platforms against the interests of the country “through negative and malicious propaganda against the armed forces of Pakistan.”
The decision comes as another setback for the Chinese networking platform, which has come under scrutiny in various countries, including India, the US, the European Union and the UK, where the governments have banned the application from its network over security concerns.
The investigation found that the sign-up process for teen users resulted in settings that made their accounts public by default, allowing anyone to view and comment on their videos.
"While social media is great at connecting New Yorkers with one another and the city, we have to ensure we are always using these platforms in a secure manner," Politico quoted City Hall spokesperson Jonah Allon as saying in a statement.
TikTok: In the lawsuit, TikTok claimed that the unprecedented ban, set to take effect in 2024, violates the right to free expression that is protected by the constitution.
The move was taken as part of efforts by the US to crack down on the ByteDance-run app, citing security concerns.
TikTok reportedly layoff its around 40 employees from India who were working under the parent company banner. The employee who worked for ByteDance was promised up to nine months of severance pay, and most of the employees will only receive three months, the report stated.
TikTok has been reportedly working to incorporate a new feature for the USA market which will enable the users to do live shopping in the region. The new feature will be launched in association with TalkShopLive, a a live shopping platform based in Los Angeles.
The TikTok app is available to millions of Americans through the app stores on iOS and Android. The short video platform is reported to collect vast troves of sensitive data about US users.
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