China accuses the US of putting pressure on TikTok
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning, at his regular press conference in Beijing, evaluated TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi’s testimony at the US House of Representatives session.
Defending that the US government is putting pressure on foreign companies such as TikTok within the Chinese company Bytedance, citing “national security concerns”, Spokesperson Mao said, “The Chinese government attaches importance to the protection of data privacy and security by law. Neither individuals nor companies, intelligence sharing can never be demanded.” said.
Mao stated that the claim that the Chinese government can use the TikTok database to track American citizens and that it will harm national interests is a “criminal assumption”, adding, “While the US government has so far not revealed evidence about how TikTok poses a threat to national security, it is constantly under the assumption of crime. He is trying to put undue pressure on the company concerned.” he said.
Stating that some members of the US Congress saw the call to ban TikTok as a political lynching attempt based on xenophobia, Mao said, “The United States should respect the market economy and the principle of fair competition, and stop putting foreign companies under unreasonable pressure to open, equal and discriminatory to companies. It should provide an environment for investment and activity that does not exist.” made its assessment.
In the US, many government agencies, including the White House, the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, and State, have banned TikTok on phones dedicated to public officials.
The US Senate unanimously passed the bill on December 15, 2022, which bans federal government employees from using TikTok on state-owned devices due to “national security concerns.”
On December 28, 2022, the US House of Representatives banned the download and use of the TikTok application on official devices used by its members and employees.
Many states have passed similar laws banning the use of TikTok, including Maryland, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Indiana, and Texas.
On February 28, the US government gave all federal agencies 30 days to remove the TikTok app.
