The Trump administration’s aggressive stance on China includes challenges to Chinese-owned tech companies that the president sees as potential national security risks. That includes the social media platform TikTok. Trump has threatened to ban TikTok from the U.S. On Monday, the U.S. House voted – as part of a defense bill – to ban use of the service on government devices.
Tech expert Omar Gallaga told Texas Standard host David Brown that the Trump administration believes TikTok is tied to the Chinese government. Gallaga said the Trump reelection campaign has run ads on Facebook asking supporters to sign a petition in support of such a ban.
“The administration says it’s the app’s ability to access information stored on the phone’s clipboard that they feel is a danger from the Chinese government,” Gallaga said.
What you’ll hear in this segment:
– How TikTok fits into the overall social media landscape
– Why the House voted to ban TikTok on government devices
– What Byte Dance could do if the U.S. government restricts TikTok
