Trump says he will ban TikTok in the US

President Donald Trump

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EPA

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Mr Trump said he could ban the app as early as Saturday

President Donald Trump has announced he is banning the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok in the US.

He told reporters he could sign an executive order as early as Saturday.

US security officials have expressed concern that the app, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, could be used to collect the personal data of Americans.

The fast-growing app has up to 80 million active monthly users in America and the ban would be a major blow for ByteDance.

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Media captionWATCH: Will TikTok be banned?

“As far as TikTok is concerned, we’re banning them from the United States,” Mr Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

TikTok spokesperson Hilary McQuaide declined to comment on the move but said the company was “confident in the long-term success of TikTok”, the Washington Post reports.