Why TikTok is being banned on gov’t phones in US and beyond

By HALELUYA HADERO
Associated Press

The United States is ratcheting up national security concerns about TikTok, mandating that all federal employees delete the Chinese-owned social media app from government-issued mobile phones. Other Western governments are pursuing similar bans, citing espionage fears. A law China implemented in 2017 requires companies to give the government any personal data relevant to the country’s national security. There’s no evidence that TikTok has turned over such data, but fears abound due to the vast amount of user data it collects. China says the bans reveal the United States’ insecurities and are an abuse of state power.