As far as TikTok is concerned, we're banning them from the United States: Donald Trump

Washington, Aug 01: US President Donald Trump on Friday said he will bar TikTok, a fast-growing social media app, from the United States as American authorities have raised concerns the service could be a tool for Chinese intelligence.

Recently, US officials and lawmakers have voiced fears of the wildly popular video platform being used by Beijing for nefarious purposes, but the company has denied any links to the Chinese government.

According to reports, Trump would require the US operations of the app be divested from its Chinese parent firm ByteDance, but the president announced a ban.

"As far as TikTok is concerned, we're banning them from the United States," Trump allegedly said. He added he would take action as soon as Saturday using emergency economic power or an executive order.

Trump's move comes following a review by the Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS) in the United States, which investigates deals affecting US national security.

It can be seen that TikTok, that is popular with young audiences to create and watch its short-form videos, has an estimated billion users worldwide. The firm pledged a high level of transparency, including allowing reviews of its algorithms, to assure users and regulators.