President Donald Trump claims that he plans to ban TikTok in the United States.

On Friday (July 31), Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he wants to ban the Chinese-owned app due to privacy concerns, CNBC reported.

“As far as TikTok is concerned we’re banning them from the United States,” Trump claimed, adding that the action is a "severance.”

Trump told media outlets that he may order the ban as soon as this weekend. “Well, I have that authority," he continued. "I can do it with an executive order."

A TikTok spokesperson told NBC that they are committed to the privacy of its users and that the company has helped the economy.

"We’ve hired nearly 1,000 people to our U.S. team this year alone, and are proud to be hiring another 10,000 employees into great paying jobs across the US.,” the company said in a statement. "Our $1 billion creator fund supports U.S. creators who are building livelihoods from our platform."

"TikTok U.S. user data is stored in the U.S., with strict controls on employee access,” the statement continued. "TikTok’s biggest investors come from the U.S. We are committed to protecting our users’ privacy and safety as we continue working to bring joy to families and meaningful careers to those who create on our platform."

ByteDance, the company that owns the popular video platform, reportedly agreed to divest their United States operations in hopes of reaching an agreement with the White House. Microsoft has allegedly been in talks to take over TikTok's U.S. operations.

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