The United States could be considering banning more Chinese-owned apps than just TikTok. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said this week that additional apps could be banned due to being a national security threat, according to the New York Post.
The comments come at a time when the United States government is considering banning the popular TikTok app. President Donald Trump recently said the app would be banned if it was not sold by mid-November.
The current rumors indicate Microsoft, Walmart, and Oracle are among the favorites to purchase the app if it is sold.
TikTok is based in Beijing. It has been downloaded over 110 million times in the United States.
The company, however, claims that its servers are based out of China and that they are committed to transparency for its users. The app is also not available within China.
“At TikTok, we take these issues incredibly seriously as well. We are committed to transparency and accountability in how we support our TikTok users in the US and around the world,” the statement from TikTok read. “TikTok does not remove content based on sensitivities related to China. We have never been asked by the Chinese government to remove any content and we would not do so if asked. Period.”
TikTok was first launched in 2017 and is available for download on iOS and Android devices. Earlier this year, TikTok hit one billion downloads globally with the app available in over 150 markets and 75 languages.