US 'looking at' banning Tiktok, other Chinese social media apps, says Pompeo

WASHINGTON DC: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the US is "certainly looking" at banning Chinese social media apps, including Tiktok, days after India blocked the popular video-sharing platform.

India banned 59 apps with Chinese links, including Tiktok and UC Browser, on June 29, saying they were prejudicial to sovereignty, integrity and security of the country.

During an interview on Monday with Fox News' Laura Ingraham, Pompeo said that he and President Donald Trump are taking the reports seriously after he was told by the host that India had already banned the app and Australia is considering doing so.

"We are taking this very seriously and we are certainly looking at it. We have worked on this very issue for a long time, whether it's the problem of having Huawei technology in your infrastructure -- we've gone all over the world and we are making real progress getting that out -- we had declared ZTE a danger to American national security," Pompeo said. "With respect to Chinese apps on people's cell phones, I can assure you the United States will get this one right too," he said, adding that he did not want to dive into specifics and potentially "get ahead" of any presidential announcement.

"But, it is something we are looking at," he said, going on to warn Americans that they should be cautious in using Tiktok, lest they want their private information "in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party." Pompeo's remarks on the Chinese social media apps came amid growing tensions in bilateral ties with Beijing on a range of issues.