Donald Trump Might Ban TikTok In The U.S. As Early As Today

August 1, 2020 / Posted by:

 

Well, the President has spoken. And since this is Trump we’re talking about, he’s probably trying to cancel the massive social media platform because some teenager created a 10-second long video making fun of him. That’s more his style. And Charli D’Amelio and the other Gen Zers who make millions doing the least are probably furiously learning the Cabbage Patch, the Running Man, and other dances of the olds, so they can fit in with the grandmas and grandpas at Instagram and Facebook.

In a last-ditch effort to remind the world what a powerful man he thinks he is, Donald Trump, and his family, are scrambling to get a lot of ambitious projects done before November’s election (because apparently COVID-19 is under control?). Melania Trump, who we already know has exquisite taste when it comes to home décor, is overhauling the White House rose garden (let’s hope she gets evicted and is permanently in hiding somewhere in Mara Lago for the rest of her life before the new buds bloom). And now, the Great Orange One himself––well, when he’s not sitting on the toilet, tweeting about possible election fraud––is taking aim at, of all things, TikTok.

According to CNBC, Trump told reporters while aboard Air Force One on Friday that he would ban TikTok, the Chinese-owned video app, from the country.

“As far as TikTok is concerned we’re banning them from the United States,” Trump said, calling the action a “severance.” Trump did not specify whether he will act through an executive order, or another method. such as a designation.“Well, I have that authority. I can do it with an executive order or that,” Trump said.

You know he gets a micro-boner every time he says it to himself: “I have the authority”. I mean, I understand the rage. If I could, I’d get rid of TikTok for the simple fact that I’m old and I hate how often I have to hear the term “TikTok star…” Trump says that he could remove the social media platform as early as today.

The Chinese company ByteDance launched TikTok in 2017. And since then, the app has blown up––especially during the coronavirus pandemic, where it was downloaded 2 billion times in April alone. The company is valued at $50 billion and is responsible for thousands of jobs in the US.

The Trump administration has been hating on TikTok since the beginning, doing everything possible to limit the app’s influence, accusing China of stealing the data of users. Earlier this month, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed that they were looking into banning TikTok and other Chinese state-backed tech companies. Mike Pompeo wants to ban TikTok for privacy reasons but it seems Trump wants to ban TikTok to punish China because of coronavirus (and let’s be real, he’s still pissed that TikTok fucked with his rally). via CNET:

Politicians are concerned that the Chinese government could use the video app to spy on US citizens. In an interview with Fox News that aired July 6, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said users who download the app are putting “private information in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.” Trump cited a different reason: punishing China for its response to the coronavirus. Asked about Pompeo’s remarks, Trump confirmed the US is considering a TikTok ban. “It’s a big business,” Trump said during an interview with Gray Television. “Look, what happened with China with this virus, what they’ve done to this country and to the entire world, is disgraceful.”

There have been talks that Microsoft may buy TikTok but Microsoft wouldn’t confirm or deny that.

The U.S. isn’t alone, though. India has already banned TikTok and Australia is thinking about banning it too over privacy concerns. BUT WAIT! Vanessa Pappas, the U.S. General Manager, responded today by saying that they’re not going anywhere:

Oh, Vanessa, don’t you know that Trump’s BFF Mark Zuckerberg is the only one allowed to steal data in the U.S.?! And this news may have caused Quibi to stop digging its grave for when it finally dies because all of those zillions of TikTok users will definitely run on over to them (no, they won’t)!

Pic: TikTok

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