CIA Director William Burns said that the popularity of the Chinese application TikTok in the United States worries Washington. He said this in an interview with the PBS television channel.

Burns called TikTok a threat to U.S. national security and stressed that the app is a cause for genuine concern for the government.

The CIA chief added that he shared officials' concerns about the dangers of TikTok because it is owned by a Chinese company. Accordingly, the Chinese government has the right to insist on access to American users' information. Not only can Chinese authorities access the data, but they can also control content on the social network.

"I'd be really careful," Burns stressed in response to a request for advice from TikTok users.