Daily US Times: US President Donald Trump has expressed his approval of a deal that would allow popular Chinese video-sharing app TikTok to continue operating in the US. The President told reporters he had given his “blessing” to a partnership between TikTok and US firms Oracle and Walmart.
Mr Trump had ordered the app to be banned in the US, citing national security concerns.
US security officials fear data collected by by the Chinese-owned app may be handed to the Chinese government.
ByteDance, TikTok’s owner, has denied accusations that it is controlled by or shares data with China’s ruling Communist Party.
Mr Trump said on Saturday that the deal would ensure the data of the estimated 100 million Americans who use the app was safe, telling reporters: “The security will be 100%.”
Mr Trump said as he left the White House ahead of an election rally in North Carolina: “I have given the deal my blessing. I approve the deal in concept.”
ByteDance has not yet commented on the proposed TikTok deal with Oracle, which would need further approval by the Chinese government.
President Trump’s support for the deal comes days after his administration said it would bar people in the United States from downloading TikTok through any app store from Sunday.
However, the US Commerce Department said it had now delayed this deadline for a week until 27 September in the “light of recent positive developments”.
The row over TikTok comes at a time of heightened tensions between the Chinese government and the Trump administration over a number of issues, including protests in Hong Kong, trade disputes, and Beijing’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
Reuters news agency reported on Thursday that the deal would see the establishment of a new company, dubbed TikTok Global. That company would have a majority of American directors, a US security expert and chief executive on the board.
You may read: TikTok will partner with Oracle in the United States
