Trump administration likely to take action on TikTok, WeChat risks ‘in weeks’, official says
- A number of Trump administration officials are looking at national security risks of social media applications including TikTok and WeChat
- ‘I would say that we’re looking at weeks, not months [in terms of action],’ White House chief of staff Mark Meadows says
“There are a number of … administration officials who are looking at the national security risk as it relates to TikTok, WeChat and other apps that have the potential for national security exposure, specifically as it relates to the gathering of information on American citizens by a foreign adversary,” White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told reporters en route to Washington from Georgia.
“I don’t know that there’s any self-imposed deadline in terms of action, but I would say that we’re looking at weeks, not months,” he added.
TikTok defended its security practices in a statement, saying: “We are fully committed to protecting our users’ privacy and security.
“TikTok has an American CEO, a chief information security officer with decades of US military and law enforcement experience, and a growing US team that works diligently to develop a best-in-class security infrastructure. TikTok US user data is stored in Virginia and Singapore, with strict controls on employee access. These are the facts,” the statement said.
WeChat owner Tencent did not immediately respond to a request for comment.