⁍ Both the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee have warned their staff members not to use TikTok.

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⁍ The app is owned and operated by the Chinese company ByteDance.

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⁍ Critics have suggested the app could be used as a data-collection tool for the Chinese government.

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⁍ President Donald Trump’s administration has warned that the app could be outright banned in the US.

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– The Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee are both warning staffers not to use the popular Chinese social media app TikTok, CNN reports. “The RNC has advised employees and stakeholders to not download the TikTok app on their personal devices,” Mandi Merritt, the RNC’s national press secretary, says. The app is owned and operated by the Chinese company ByteDance, and critics say it could be used as a data-collection tool for the Chinese government. President Trump’s administration has warned that the app could be outright banned in the US. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said TikTok users risked their data ending up “in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.” TikTok issued a statement saying it is “fully committed to protecting our users’ privacy and security,” Business Insider reports. “Under the leadership of our American CEO, along with our Chief Information Security Officer and Head of Safety, TikTok’s growing US team works diligently to develop a best-in-class security infrastructure and uphold our Community Guidelines which prohibit misleading and inauthentic content and accounts,” the statement said.