You know Trump Highlights TikTok’s Youth Appeal, Questions Spy Allegations
President Donald Trump was asked to share his thoughts about TikTok during his first interview
after becoming America’s head of state. Many were shocked to see him
downplay claims about the app serving as a surveillance tool for China.
Instead,
he tried to call it a mere platform for young children watching some
crazy videos. When questioned about it serving as a spy, he said that’s
the case with all products made in China.
He did not understand
why only the app was singled out when other products like phones
designed in the country were doing the same. Trump did agree to being
aware of security threats it might pose for America and its 170M users.
However, he brushed it off as more of a hype than anything else with
stats getting blown out of proportion.
He did seem to have a warm spot for the company and admitted it on live television. This might be due to the growing number of young voters that contributed to his win and he wanted to do something for them. This might be the way he promoted TikTok more like a platform for fun videos and nothing else.
Image: TWH / X
Trump says most of the influence of TikTok is on the youth as it caters to that age bracket the most. According to the president, spying on kids watching crazy videos didn’t make much sense to him. Instead, he felt the growing presence of Chinese producers making many products that America users today. For instance, computers and smartphones could be a bigger threat.
Trump really did make history and win the hearts of millions after rolling out an executive order for the app that would continue to function in America. It does come with a 75-day deadline during which it needs to be sold off to an American buyer.
It was also interesting to note how the CEO of TikTok was part of Trump’s inauguration and how the company thanked the President for restoring the app so millions of users in the US could benefit. Now, it’s going to be interesting to see how things play out. Trump wants the US to have 50% ownership and even named those who he sees fit to be the best buyer.