Trump plans to ban China's TikTok social app from United States

President Trump declared Friday night he will ban the Chinese-owned social app TikTok from the United States as word emerged Microsoft might be emerging as a suitor for the popular product.

During a gaggle with reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he would use an executive order or emergency powers to ban the social platform owned by Chinese-based ByteDance from the U.S. market. He suggested he could act as early as Saturday.

“As far as TikTok is concerned, we’re banning them from the United States,” the president said.

His administration has raised concerns the app may be used to spy on Americans or improperly collect data.

Earlier Friday, reports surfaced that Microsoft was in discussions to buy TikTok, which has gained global popularity among young users because of its ability to share videos among users.