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Trump says considering TikTok ban as China row deepens

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Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said he is considering banning the wildly popular video-sharing app TikTok as a way to punish China over the coronavirus pandemic, remarks China described Wednesday as &quot;a malicious smear&quot;.TikTok has been caught up in the escalating disputes between the United States and China, with the Chinese-owned firm accused of acting as a spying tool for Beijing -- an allegation it denies.&quot;It&#x27;s something we&#x27;re looking at,&quot; Trump said during a TV interview on Tuesday when asked about a possible ban, according to Bloomberg News.&quot;It&#x27;s a big business. Look, what happened with China with this virus, what they&#x27;ve done to this country and to the entire world is disgraceful.&quot;Trump did not provide any details, and told Gray Television that it was &quot;one of many&quot; options he was considering against China, Bloomberg added.The United States is the country worst-hit by the virus, which the American president has blamed on poor management and a lack of transparency in China -- which has rejected the allegation.&quot;The remarks made by some politicians in the US are totally groundless and a malicious smear,&quot; Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Wednesday when asked about Trump&#x27;s comments on TikTok and China&#x27;s role in the pandemic.&quot;The Chinese government has always asked Chinese businesses to conduct cooperation overseas on the basis of law and compliance,&quot; he told a regular press briefing.Trump&#x27;s comments came a day after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US government was looking at banning Chinese apps -- including TikTok -- over espionage concerns.TikTok is estimated to have close to one billion users worldwide, but despite the huge popularity, it has long battled allegations that it is a spying tool for Beijing, with critics pointing to the fact that it is owned by a Chinese firm -- ByteDance.The firm has consistently stressed that it does not share user information with the Chinese government.&quot;TikTok is led by an American CEO, with hundreds of employees and key leaders across safety, security, product, and public policy here in the US,&quot; a TikTok spokesperson told Bloomberg.&quot;We have never provided user data to the Chinese government, nor would we do so if asked.&quot;TikTok has been caught up in another international spat too -- it was among the dozens of Chinese apps banned by India over national security concerns after a deadly border clash between its soldiers and Chinese troops.And on Monday, TikTok said it was pulling out of Hong Kong after a new national security law imposed by China gave authorities sweeping powers to police the internet.-- Bloomberg News contributed to this story --

US President Donald Trump said he is considering banning the wildly popular video-sharing app TikTok as a way to punish China over the coronavirus pandemic, remarks China described Wednesday as "a malicious smear".

US President Donald Trump said he is considering banning the wildly popular video-sharing app TikTok as a way to punish China over the coronavirus pandemic, remarks China described Wednesday as "a malicious smear".