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| Report: Zuckerberg warned Trump about the rise of Chinese tech companies |
The Wall Street Journal quoted Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg as he dined at the White House last October as warning President Donald Trump that Chinese tech companies pose a direct threat to US companies. About people familiar with this topic.
Zuckerberg believes that cracking down on these companies should take precedence over Facebook's control. Before and after dinner, Zuckerberg warned US officials and lawmakers that Chinese tech companies pose a threat to US values and the country's technological dominance. The tech giant was also said to have said that TikTok, owned by Beijing-based company ByteDance, does not share its commitment to freedom of expression.
Republican Tom Cotton and Senate President Chuck Schumer met Zuckerberg in September and called for a TikTok investigation in October. Soon after, the National Security Permit began. For national security reasons, Trump signed an order blocking the app earlier this month.
TikTok is Facebook's main competitor. This social video sharing app has grown in popularity in recent months and can directly compete with Instagram. Due to the size of the Tik Tok audience, the company can pay for Tik Tok instead of using the ad space on Instagram or Facebook.
White House Trade Counselor Peter Navarro told CNBC on Monday that Zuckerberg "has no control" over TikTok and that the report "has no credibility".
A Facebook spokesperson told CNBC on Monday: “Mark has never called for TikTok to be banned. He has repeatedly stated that the biggest competitor to US tech companies is Chinese companies whose values are rising. Against democratic ideals like freedom of speech. Policy makers on both sides have indicated that His long-term national security concerns were only shaped by Mark's testimony.