Headline Roundup • July 9th, 2020
Trump Looking to Ban TikTok After China Enforces Censorship Laws in Hong Kong
Summary from the AllSides News Team
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Reuters
(Reuters) - ByteDance is looking to make changes to the corporate structure of its short video app TikTok, a company spokesperson said on Thursday.
TikTok is also in early stages to establish its headquarters, according to a source familiar with the management’s thinking. The company’s five largest offices are in Los Angeles, New York, London, Dublin and Mumbai, it previously said.
Trump is coming for your TikToks.
According to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the administration is “looking at” the possibility of banning a range of Chinese apps, including the hugely popular video-sharing app.
TikTok, which was downloaded 315 million times in the first three months of the year, has long been a source of national security concern for U.S. politicians, and now the Trump administration says it’s seriously considering banning the app.
Viral video platform TikTok’s withdrawal from Hong Kong is a savvy commercial move that sidesteps thorny privacy issues but it will not shield the app completely from accusations of collusion with China, experts say.
As Facebook, Twitter and other US tech giants risk angering China by refusing to share Hong Kong user data, Chinese-owned TikTok has also portrayed an image of principle by pulling out of the territory.
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