TikTok, WeChat, threat to American Security – Michael Pompeo

WASHINGTON, United States- Secretary of State, Michel Pompeo has described Chinese softwares, TikTok, WeChat and the rest as security threats that are feeding data directly to the Chinese Communist Party and their national security apparatus.

Michael Pompeo who was speaking with Maria Bartiromo on Fox News in Washington DC said the information obtained by China through TikTok, WeChaat and other softwares could be their facial recognition pattern.

“It could be information about their residence, their phone numbers, their friends, who they’re connected to. Those are the issues that President Trump has made clear we’re going to take care of. These are true national security issues. They are true privacy issues for the American people”, he said.

He said that for a long time the United States felt these applications should be allowed for fun and for business.

“President Trump has said enough and we’re going to fix it. And so he will take action in the coming days with respect to a broad array of national security risks that are presented by software connected to the Chinese Communist Party”, he said.

His views on TikTok, WeChat and others seems to tally with that of Emeritus Professor of Economics and Director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy and the National Defense Production Act policy, Mr. Peter Navarro who said “What the American people have to understand is all the data that goes into those mobile apps that kids have so much fun with and seem so convenient, it goes right to servers in China, right to the Chinese military, the Chinese Communist Party, and the agencies which want to steal our intellectual property.

“Those apps can be used to steal personal and financial information, for blackmail and extortion. They can be used to steal business intellectual property and proprietary secrets,” Navarro had said.

Speaking in the same vein, Pompeo said the U.S will take a major decision on TikTok, WeChat and other Chinese softwares in the coming weeks.

“Maria, I promise you, the President, when he makes his decision, will make sure that everything we have done drives us as close to zero risk for the American people.

“That’s the mission set that he laid out for all of us – we began to evaluate this now several months back. We’re closing in on a solution, and I think you’ll see the President’s announcement shortly”, he said.