TikTok: USA's 30-deadline to remove Chinese-owned app from all govt devices; Canada also bans

Marking a fresh low in America-China ties, the US government has ordered all federal agencies to remove TikTok from all government devices within 30 days.

The Chinese-owned social media has been facing increasing scrutiny over Beijing possibly gaining access to American data. The White House and the US government's Defense, Homeland Security, and State departments had already banned TikTok.

In a similar move, the Canadian government is also banning the app from all government-issued mobile devices.

The European Union's executive branch said last week it has temporarily banned TikTok from phones used by employees as a cybersecurity measure. The EU's action follows similar moves in the U.S., where more than half of the states and Congress have banned TikTok from official government devices.

TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore. It has been targeted by critics who say the Chinese government could access user data, such as browsing history and location. U.S. armed forces also have prohibited the app on military devices.

(With agency inputs)

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