Trump Says He Will Ban China-Owned TikTok From Operating in U.S.

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump said he would ban TikTok from the U.S. on Saturday and cast doubt on a notion the popular music-video app would be sold to an American company.

“As far as TikTok is concerned we’re banning them from the United States,” the president told reporters Friday night. Asked when it would happen, he said: “Soon, immediately. I mean essentially immediately.” He added: “I will sign the document tomorrow.”

Trump said he had the authority to ban the app, owned by ByteDance Ltd., one of China’s biggest tech companies, through an executive order or under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

“I will sign the document tomorrow,” he said just before Air Force One landed in Washington from a visit to Florida.

It’s the latest move by the administration to curb China’s influence. TikTok has become one of the world’s most popular apps. It has been downloaded more than 2 billion times globally and more than 165 million times in the U.S.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.