Hugely popular video app TikTok could be banned in both Europe and the United States, according to remarks from the president of the European Commission.
TikTok is also under two separate EU investigations, and President Biden last week signed a bill that would ban the app in the US for nine months unless it is sold to a US company … ;
TikTok is already facing a ban in USA
Last month, the House voted overwhelmingly to either ban TikTok in the US or force the sale of the app to an American company.
Senators seemed less convinced the legislation needed to be passed, so the Justice Department put forward the option of a sale rather than a ban. President Biden last week signed a bill that gives ByteDance's Chinese owner up to nine months to sell to the U.S. company, although that deadline could be extended to 12 months.
The credibility of the national security risk claim has been called into question by -for a seemingly “interesting” event. source, but by that point the initiative seemed to have gained enough momentum for it to happen anyway.
TikTok could be banned in Europe
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the “dangers” of the app and said an EU ban is not ruled out, Politico reported.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hinted that banning TikTok in the European Union was an option during a debate on this evening in Maastricht with parties’ leading candidates in the bloc elections in 2024.
“It is possible,” von der Leyen said after the moderator mentioned the United States, where TikTok faces a national ban unless it is sold by its owner ByteDance. She quickly added that the Commission was “the very first organization in the world to ban TikTok on our corporate phones.”
“We definitely know the dangers of TikTok.” ;
TikTok is currently being investigated by the EU for possible violations of the law, including a scheme to use gift certificates to reward users for watching videos, which may conflict with a ban on features designed to increase children's dependence on using the apps.
Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash
