China appeals for fair treatment after latest TikTok bans

BEIJING (AP) — China is appealing to other governments to treat its companies fairly after Britain and New Zealand joined the United States in restricting use of TikTok due to fears the Chinese-owned short video service might be a security risk. Governments are worried TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, might give browsing history or other data about users to China’s government or promote propaganda and disinformation. The Chinese foreign ministry has appealed for a “non-discriminatory environment.” New Zealand’s government said Friday that legislators and employees in its Parliament will be prohibited from having TikTok’s app on phones. Britain announced a ban on TikTok on all government phones. U.S. federal agencies have been ordered to remove TikTok from government-issued mobile devices.