The White House may target more Chinese apps, said Peter Navarro, a key trade adviser to President Donald Trump, as pressure on TikTok appears set to force a sale of the popular social media platform.
Navarro told the Fox Business Network that Chinese apps present a surveillance threat for US citizens.
“That’s the policy position underlying why we have gone after TikTok and WeChat, and there will be others,” said Navarro, a long-time hawk on Beijing.
“It is critical that this country not use apps that are made in China.”
Meanwhile, CNBC reported that TikTok has chosen a bidder for its operations in the US, New Zealand and Australia and could make an announcement this week.
The main bidders are Microsoft, potentially in cooperation with retailer Walmart, and Oracle.
Trump has pushed orders that effectively force ByteDance, the China-based owner of TikTok, to sell the U.S. wing of the company before the middle of September or risk being banned.
But there are growing signs from Beijing that the Chinese government may set up some obstacles to a sale.
TikTok’s CEO Kevin Mayer resigned last week, just months after he took up the position.
