The U.S Navy has barred all its service members from installing TikTok on all devices or risk being expelled from the military service’s intranet.
China-based TikTok is deemed a security threat against the US, due to its alleged vast data collection on its US-based users.
TikTok is currently the fastest-growing social network, challenging the likes of Facebook and its swathe of social media platforms.
US Senator Josh Hawley recently demanded a national security review of all China-affiliated companies, especially TikTok and its parent company ByteDance.
Grindr, a gay social networking app, was recently acquired from its Chinese owner Beijing Kunlun, due to similar security concerns.
While the US is on a hunt for Chinese companies operating in the states, American companies are having an increasingly hard time in the Chinese markets. This is mainly due to the popularity and convenience offered by local app behemoths such as WeChat, as well as similarly predatory government policy.
The Chinese government maintains strict control over all firms operating in the country; demanding that they censor their platforms of anything that may portray China in controversial light.
The sheer make or break size of the Chinese market ensures foreign companies toe the line in order to keep operating in the communist country.
