Joe Rogan and former CIA agent say Tik Tok is actually a “cyber threat”

Joe Rogan and former CIA agent Mike Baker says popular social media app Tik Tok is considered to be a “cyber threat” by the U.S. military.

The Joe Rogan Experience is host to a number of experts from different fields, and during episode 1414, the MMA commentator and podcast host welcomed Mike Baker, a former CIA covert operations officer who discussed the world of security and operations with Rogan for over two hours.

During their interview, discussions turned to China and the news that the U.S. had recently banned Huawei smartphones, after accusing the government of using the devices to spy on American consumers. Talk then turned to Tik Tok, a social media app that allows users to post short clips online, which is also based in China, with Baker claiming that the app is banned from use by those serving the military because of its links back to the Asian powerhouse.

“They’ve been making efforts to limit the ability for Tik Tok to do business here,” Baker told Rogan. “The U.S. military has instructed all personnel to stay off Tik Tik because of the same concern. These companies can argue all they want that they are independent, but at the end of the day, if the Chinese government knock on their door and say ‘We would like access to your database because we want to hoover up information about every military person stationed wherever,’ they’re going to do it.”

“It’s considered a cyber threat,” read Rogan online, taking a quote from Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Robin Ochoa. “We do not allow it on government phones.”

• Read More: Joe Rogan mocks “goofy” Royal Family amid Harry and Meghan exit

Rogan went on to explain how his own daughter is 11 years old and obsessed with the app, getting the 52-year-old to perform dances with her from Tik Tok, while Baker admitted that when he took his son to basketball practice, he often sees a bunch of kids using their phones to watch videos or discuss it.

Whether the United States government will move to ban Tik Tok like they have Huawei remains to be seen, but Rogan revealed that the company had been trying to get one of their executives onto The Joe Rogan Experience for an interview, something which the host says he could not be less interested in.

“Interesting,” stated Baker when the comedian told him the news. “Not really,” responded Rogan. “Not to me. [It’s not happening.] No.”