The White Home has already introduced a full ban of TikTok on government-owned units, following related strikes in over 30 US states. EU and Canadian officers have additionally adopted go well with, banning the app on all official units, as tensions between China and the west proceed to simmer, largely tied again to the Ukraine battle.

Earlier this month, the US ordered a Chinese language balloon to be shot down, amid considerations that it was getting used to spy on the US and Canada, whereas rumors of China’s continued help for Russia’s assaults on Ukraine have additionally put it on a collision course with western governments.

Inside this, TikTok has grow to be a much bigger focus. And whereas the app has been below CFIUS evaluate for nearly two years, discussions round its future at the moment are accelerating, which may see it banned outright within the US someday quickly.

TikTok responded to the information with this assertion:

At present’s announcement doesn’t give Biden the complete inexperienced gentle to ban the app, with the US Senate nonetheless required to present sign-off earlier than a ban may very well be applied. But it surely’s one other step in direction of that subsequent stage, which more and more appears like it’s going to result in a TikTok ban, or in any case, a major change in path for the app.

Former US President Donald Trump ordered TikTok to be bought to a US firm in 2020, or face a full ban within the area. That choice should still be one other technique to go, which may ultimately see TikTok below new administration, versus going darkish within the US.

However then once more, quite a bit now is dependent upon China’s subsequent strikes, and whether or not it continues to conflict with the US.

The spy balloon incident appears like a turning level, of types, on this push, and it might be that relations between the 2 financial superpowers have now deteriorated to the purpose the place the US feels compelled to behave.

Clearly, safety officers have main considerations, and if that extends to authorities workers, it stands to purpose that the identical logic may apply to common residents as properly.

We now await the following steps.