US to ban Tik Tok: Donald Trump

President Donald Trump announced he will ban the fast-growing social media app TikTok from the United States as concerns have been raised by the government that the app's services could be a tool for Chinese intelligence.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said, "As far as TikTok is concerned, we're banning them from the United States," adding, he would take action as soon as Saturday using emergency economic power or 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.

Meanwhile, the company has denied any links to the Chinese government.

TikTok, especially popular with young audiences who create and watch its short-form videos, has an estimated billion users worldwide. The popularity of the platform surged after ByteDance acquired US-based app Musical.ly in 2017 and merged it with its own video service.