China denounced on Thursday the “unjustified attacks” from the United States against TikTok after the Joe Biden administration recommended that the popular application separate from its Chinese parent so as not to be banned from US soil.
The United States and the European Union have been taking an increasingly tough approach to the popular short video app, owned by Chinese firm Bytedance, citing fears Chinese officials could use or abuse user data.
According to an article published by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and other media, the White House issued an ultimatum: if TikTok continues to be owned by bytedanceIt will be banned in the United States.
TikTok confirmed to AFP that the US government recommended that it separate from ByteDance.
The platform is perceived as a danger to national security by several congressmen who accuse it of giving Beijing access to the data of users around the world, something that TikTok denies.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday urged the United States to “stop unjustified attacks” against the platform and denounced a business environment that discriminates against foreign groups.
“The United States has not yet provided any evidence that TikTok threatens the national security of the United States.”, added his spokesman Wang Wenbin.
cascade of prohibitions
The White House has already barred federal agency officials from having the app on their phones, under a law ratified in early January.
TikTok stores US user data on servers located in the United States. The app did admit that China-based employees had access, but under a strict and limited framework, and not the Chinese government.
“If the goal is to protect national security, calling for a ban or alienation is unnecessary, as neither option solves the industry’s problems of data access and transfer.”, a TikTok spokeswoman reacted.
“We remain confident that the best path to address national security concerns is to protect US-based user data and systems, with robust monitoring, investigation, and third-party verification.”, added the spokeswoman.
The United Kingdom, a close ally of the United States, announced on Thursday an immediate ban on TikTok on government devices, for security reasons.
The social network said to be “disappointed” by the decision of London and asked to be “judged on the basis of facts and treated in the same way as (its) rivals”.
The European Commission and the Canadian government recently made similar decisions for the mobile phones of their officials.
In front of YouTube and Twitter
A few days ago Chinese President Xi Jinping lamented the “policy of containment, siege and repression” of the Westerners, led by the United States, against China.
He made these remarks in the context of US attacks against Chinese technology flagships such as TikTok or the telecommunications equipment manufacturer Huawei.
The United States also imposes restrictions on semiconductor exports to Chinese companies.
TikTok’s popularity skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, beyond its original audience, teenagers. In the United States alone, the app has more than 100 million users.
It surpasses YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and closely follows Netflix, according to Insider Intelligence.
The powerful American civil rights association ACLU has opposed anti-enforcement bills, in the name of free speech.
Source: AFP
Source: Gestion
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