TikTok ban in US: White House orders app removal within 30 days from govt-issued devices

US federal agencies have been asked to uninstall TikTok from all government-issued devices within the next 30 days. The White House has also called on government agencies to "prohibit internet traffic" from such devices to the Chinese-owned video-snippet sharing app in line with a ban ordered by the US Congress. The restrictions do not apply to the platform's massive userbase of private citizens or to businesses in the US not associated with the federal government.

Days earlier Canada had joined a growing list of countries to announce restrictions against the social media app owned by ByteDance. Officials said that the app presents an "unacceptable" level of risk to privacy and security. Much like the US, the ban is currently in place for government-issued devices.

The ban has prompted a sharp rebuke from China. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning asserted during a daily briefing on Tuesday that the US government “has been overstretching the concept of national security and abusing state power to suppress other countries' companies".

“How unsure of itself can the U.S., the world's top superpower, be to fear a favourite young person's favourite app to such a degree?” he asked.

(With inputs from agencies)