World News for Students of English

24-03-2023 15:00

Popular social media app TikTok that was developed by Chinese company ByteDance, the world’s most valuable startup, has been banned in multiple countries.

There are concerns over the company’s proximity to the Chinese government and its hold over user data across the world.

The UK will ban TikTok on government phones with immediate effect, as they may contain sensitive information. Similar moves have been made in Belgium, Canada, Scotland, the European Parliament, and New Zealand, with governments citing national security. US administration said that TikTok’s owners had to diversify their stakes or face a possible US ban. US legislation allows the government to ban foreign-based technologies that pose security risks.

India banned TikTok and dozens of other apps by Chinese developers on all devices in June 2020, claiming that they were potentially harmful to the country’s security and integrity. Pakistan has banned TikTok four times over what the government called immoral and indecent content on the app.

China said that New Zealand and the UK should provide a fair environment to companies from all countries.

Difficult words: proximity (closeness), stake (a share or interest in a business or system), indecent (not appropriate).

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