TikTok ‘will open a London HQ after move is approved by ministers’ risking major row with Donald Trump over Chinese app
TikTok will reportedly open a London HQ in a move approved by ministers risking a major row with Donald Trump over the Chinese app.
The investment in set to be unveiled next week by ByteDance, who own the popular social media platform, as reported by The Sun.
However the move risks opening up a rift with the US who have accused the company of passing personal data to Chinese government.
US President Trump said on Friday he would soon ban TikTok in the United States, and critics have claimed users’ personal data could be at risk.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that Trump would take action on what he sees as a broad array of national security risks presented by firms connected to the Chinese government.
US President Trump said on Friday he would soon ban TikTok in the United States
He said: ‘These Chinese software companies doing business in the United States, whether it’s TikTok or WeChat – there are countless more … are feeding data directly to the Chinese Communist Party, their national security apparatus,’ Mr Pompeo told the Fox News Channel.
‘Could be their facial recognition patterns. It could be information about their residence, their phone numbers, their friends, who they’re connected to. Those – those are the issues that President Trump has made clear we’re going to take care of,’ he said.
TikTok’s US user data is stored in the US, with strict controls on employee access, and its biggest investors come from the US, the company said on Sunday.
‘We are committed to protecting our users’ privacy and safety as we continue working to bring joy to families and meaningful careers to those who create on our platform,’ a TikTok spokesperson said.
More to follow…