BORIS Johnson risks a major row with Donald Trump after allowing TikTok a London HQ.
Ministers have approved the investment, due to be revealed next week, from the owners of the controversial Chinese app.
The White House claims TikTok’s owners collude with the communist state and have threatened to kick the social media giant out of the US.
The firm is under scrutiny over its Chinese roots, with critics saying there is a risk users’ personal data will be accessed.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Trump administration was “looking at” banning the social media app unless it cuts ties with Beijing.
TikTok, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, insists China has no access to any of its users’ personal information.
ByteDance’s founders are to announce their intention to set up shop in London.
The firm declined to comment but a deal, possibly even unveiled tomorrow, could see ByteDance’s founder Zhang Yiming and TikTok’s creator Alex Zhu relocating to London.
The move also comes amid speculation ByteDance may sell the popular app to Microsoft.
TikTok, after Friday’s US ban threat, insisted: “We’re not going anywhere.”
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