The massively popular social media platform, TikTok, is the latest to be under the glare of the US government, with secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, reportedly looking at banning the app.

Already banned in India, the app is "being looked at" over fears that it could be a surveillance tool for China: "We are taking this very seriously and we are certainly looking at it. We have worked on this very issue for a long time," Pompeo told Fox News.

"With respect to Chinese apps on people's cell phones, I can assure you the United States will get this one right too."

He added that US citizens should be cautious in using TikTok in case their private information ends up "in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party".

TikTok's developer, ByteDance, has previously attempted to disassociate itself from its roots, having originally been founded by Chinese entrepreneur Zhang Yiming. It has also withdrawn the app from Hong Kong, after the implementation of Beijing's highly controversial national security law.

"In light of recent events, we’ve decided to stop operations of the TikTok app in Hong Kong," it said in a statement.

This has lead many to believe that ByteDance is opposed to Chinese censorship and any suggestion that TikTok could be used as a government surveillance tool. The US will take more convincing though, it seems.