‘Flagrant example of unfair competition’: Russia slams US over ‘baseless’ ban on China's TikTok

Washington’s recent order banning cooperation with the popular TikTok video-sharing service is an attempt to protect the dominance of American web giants, and violates the rules of the World Trade Organization, Moscow has said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called the action against TikTok “another fragrant example of unfair competition for dominance in the field of information.”

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order that would in 45 days prohibit Americans from dealing with Chinese firm ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, unless it sells the app to a company deemed more favorable to American interests. Trump has accused the social network of collecting personal data of US citizens and sharing it with the Chinese government.

Both China and TikTok denied Trump’s allegations. Zakharova, likewise, called such claims “baseless,” and argued that American politicians simply wanted to “shamelessly strong-arm” a Chinese-owned company into being absorbed by a US rival.  

The actions by US authorities violate the basic principles of a free market economy and the norms of the WTO.

Zakharova urged Washington to consider whether its “methods of maintaining the monopoly of American web giants” are in accordance with “democratic values” and international law.

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