Should TikTok Be Banned in the U.S.?
Is the popular video-sharing social network actually dangerous? India seems to think so. The Indian government said a few weeks ago that it will ban TikTok, along with other well-known Chinese apps, such as WeChat and UC Browser, because they pose a “threat to sovereignty and integrity.” TikTok was downloaded over 190 million times in India last year alone, so being banned from the country is a major blow.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently announced the U.S. would look into banning Chinese social media apps, including TikTok, and said Americans should only download the app “if you want your private information in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.” In response, TikTok said they “have never provided user data to the Chinese government, nor would we do so if asked.” The United States and China aren’t exactly on the friendliest of terms; a trade war began shortly after Donald Trump took office, and recently U.S. officials, including Trump, have made racist remarks blaming China for the coronavirus pandemic. TikTok may become another casualty of heightened U.S.-China tensions.
It’s not just governments that are on edge about the Chinese-owned video app. Amazon asked employees a week ago to delete TikTok from their phones, but just five hours later reversed course and said the email to employees was sent in error. In the original email, Amazon…
