White House to target more Chinese apps following TikTok, WeChat crackdowns: Navarro
'It is critical that this country not use apps that are made in China,' White House trade adviser says
Director of the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy Peter Navarro on TikTok’s sale and the permanent destruction of jobs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Trump administration has cracked down on popular Chinese apps TikTok and WeChat but has more apps in its sights, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said on Monday.
TIKTOK SALE TO MICROSOFT MAY NOT BE PRUDENT: PETER NAVARRO
"It is critical that this country not use apps that are made in China, or that can take our data and go to servers in China. That data will be used to surveil, monitor and track you," Navarro told "Mornings with Maria." "That's the policy position underlying why we have gone after TikTok and WeChat, and there will be others because China ... is basically going out around the world trying to acquire technology and influence."
A man opens social media app 'TikTok' on his cell phone, in Islamabad, Pakistan. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed, File)
The Trump administration is worried about TikTok parent company ByteDance and its ties to China. President Trump issued an executive order on Aug. 6 banning TikTok in 45 days, prompting the app to frantically search for an American bidder.
The president signed an additional executive order on Aug. 6 partially banning WeChat, a Chinese-owned social media platform that facilitates messaging, social media and payment transactions.
Fox News' Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.