Hong Kong (CNN Business) TikTok, the viral short video app where millions of teens post comedy skits set to snappy music hooks, is facing a growing backlash in the United States.

US lawmakers on both sides of the aisle warn that the app could pose a national security risk, and are calling on regulators and intelligence agencies to investigate TikTok's ties to China.

Senators Chuck Schumer and Tom Cotton want the US intelligence community to assess the national security risks of TikTok and other Chinese-owned platforms, saying in a statement Thursday that such apps could be used to spy on US citizens or become targets of foreign influence campaigns like the Russian meddling campaign to influence the 2016 US presidential election

TikTok, owned by Beijing-based parent company Bytedance, has exploded in popularity and become one of the few Chinese-owned social media apps to gain traction in Western countries.

Facebook FB The app was downloaded 177 million times last quarter, down 4% compared to the same period last year, according to mobile data firm Sensor Tower . But it was still the second most downloaded app worldwide, just behind-owned messaging platform WhatsApp. It also made $40 million in revenue on the iOS App store last quarter, and has amassed about 100 million users in the United States, according to Sensor Tower.

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