Americans love TikTok: Despite security concerns, Chinese video app grew exponentially in the US

While governments across the world are growing wary of China spying on their citizens through TikTok, it seems that people aren’t really concerned about the security concerns or for that matter the privacy issues that the app poses. At a time when the US is trying to block the app on a federal level and several states have already banned it from devices that state government manages, TikTok is now a hot favourite for nearly half of the US population. Over the last two years, TikTok grew its user base from 100 million monthly active users in the US, to over 150 million monthly active users. TikTok’s staggering growth in the US TikTok announced on Monday that it now has 150 million monthly active users in the United States, up from 100 million in 2020. **Also read: Six more senators back bill to give Biden new powers to ban TikTok** The number was verified by the Chinese-owned app ahead of TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew’s hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday. Six more US senators supported bipartisan legislation on Friday that would grant President Joe Biden additional authority to prohibit TikTok on national security grounds. TikTok said last week that the Biden administration insisted that its Chinese proprietors divest their interest in the app or risk a US ban. The US government TikTok’s Chinese owners to divest Many members of Congress have called for the app to be banned, fearing that U.S. user data could slip into the clutches of China’s government. TikTok announced in September 2021 that it had more than 1 billion daily members worldwide. **Also read: China’s data collection agent: TikTok’s insidious ways to collect data and share it with the CCP** Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, who is cosponsoring legislation to give the administration more authority to prohibit TikTok, stated at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast that he did not believe TikTok data in the United States was secure. “This fictitious notion that data can be made safe under (Chinese Communist Party) law simply does not, does not pass the smell test." TikTok denies all allegations of spying and sharing data with China TikTok claims to have spent more than $1.5 billion on meticulous data security efforts, denies espionage accusations, and claims that “divestment doesn’t solve the problem: a change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access." **Also read: Surprise, surprise: TikTok lying about Chinese spying, former employee tells US Congress** The new numbers demonstrate the app’s widespread appeal, particularly among younger Americans. TikTok prohibition could have political repercussions, according to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. “The politician in me thinks you’re going to lose every voter under 35 for the rest of your life,” she said. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.