U.S. President Donald Trump announced today that he plans to ban the TikTok app from operating in the country. The president also reportedly mentioned that he is ready to sign a document to order the ban as early as today, hence indicating that the ban could take effect immediately.
The possibility of a ban has been an ongoing discussion since Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State mentioned it on July 7. Moreover, Pompeo also compared TikTok to two other Chinese companies, Huawei and ZTE that have also been designated as threats to U.S. national security.
On the other hand, TikTok U.S. General Manager Vanessa Pappas mentioned her gratitude towards the U.S. supporters of the app and stated that TikTok is not 'going anywhere'. She further added that the company will bring 10,000 jobs into the US over the next three years, hence indicating it plan to stay in the U.S. for the long run.
The Trump Administration, nevertheless, stands firm on its decision to ban the app and potentially force its Chinese owners to divest it.
There have also been rumours about Microsoft potentially acquiring TikTok's operations in the U.S., but Trump has denied the rumours, saying "[It’s] not the deal that you have been hearing about, that they are going to buy and sell, and this and that.''.
