China accuses the US of putting pressure on TikTok
Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning, at his regular press conference in Beijing, assessed TikTok CEO Shou Zi’s testimony at the US House of Representatives session.
Defending that the US government is putting pressure on foreign companies like TikTok within the Chinese company Bytedance, citing “national security concerns”, spokesman Mao said: “The Chinese government attaches importance to privacy protection and “data security by law. Neither individuals nor companies can be required to share data or intelligence in foreign countries that violates national laws,” he said.
Mao claimed that the claim that the Chinese government can use the TikTok database to track US citizens and that it will harm national interests is a “criminal assumption”, adding: “While the US government. he has so far failed to disclose evidence on how TikTok poses a threat to national security, is constantly under the assumption of a crime, is trying to put undue pressure on the company in question,” he said.
Expressing that some members of the US Congress saw the call to ban TikTok as an attempt at political lynching based on xenophobia, Mao said: “US. open, egalitarian and discriminatory for companies It must provide an environment for investment and operation that does not exist”. he performed the assessment of it.
WHAT HAPPENED?
In the US, many government agencies, including the White House, Department of Defense, Homeland Security, and the State, have banned TikTok on phones dedicated to public officials.
The US Senate unanimously passed the bill on December 15, 2022, which prohibits 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 app 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.