This is the latest in a series of moves by US officials and legislators. This has raised fears that TikTok’s user data in the US might be passed on to the Chinese government by TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance. It also has more than 100 million users in the US. It also marks the first time under the administration of President Joe Biden that a ban on TikTok has been seriously threatened following former President Donald Trump tried to ban TikTok in the US. year 2020, but the US court revoke order
TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter said the company recently learned from the U.S. Treasury Department committee. on foreign investment in the United States (CFIUS), which demands Chinese app owners sell their company shares. and said otherwise they would face the possibility of a US ban on TikTok.
The Wall Street Journal reports that ByteDance asserts that 60% of its shares belong to global investors, 20% of employees and 20% of founders.
In 2020, the CFIUS, a powerful national security agency, advised ByteDance to shut down TikTok and under pressure from then-President Trump. Bytedance has been unsuccessful in its attempts to strike deals with Walmart and Oracle Corp to turn TikTok’s U.S. assets into new ventures.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement: “If protecting national security is the goal, Selling the business doesn’t solve the problem. Changing owners will not impose any new restrictions. on the flow of information or access,” while the White House declined to comment.
TikTok Chief Executive Officer Zhou Zi Zhou is due to appear before the US Congress. next week It was unclear whether the Chinese government would approve any divestitures, and the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., would not comment.
last month The White House has given government agencies 30 days to ensure that the TikTok app does not exist on federal devices and systems. More than 30 US states have also banned their employees from using TikTok on government devices.
US ban It might face significant legal hurdles and potential political problems as TikTok becomes popular among millions of young Americans.
Last week, Democratic Senator Mark Warner said: It is important that the US government Will have to take more action than it is. To make it clear what the government believes to be a national security risk from TikTok, it will be the government’s job to show how this poses a threat.
TikTok and CFIUS Having negotiated for more than two years on data security requirements, TikTok said it had invested more than $1.5 billion. Go with rigorous data security efforts. and denied allegations of spying.
TikTok said Wednesday that “The best way to address concerns regarding national security It is the transparent protection of US users’ data and systems with verifiability. and effective third-party audits.”
last week The White House supports legislation proposed by dozens of senators. To give the administration new powers to ban TikTok and foreign technology if it poses a threat to national security. That might give the Biden administration a new tool for judicial proceedings. If they want to ban TikTok
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan praised the bipartisan bill, saying it “will increase our ability to deal with discrete risks from individual actions. and systemic risks arising from certain types of operations involving countries involved in sensitive technology sectors.”
U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee It voted in line with the party’s lead on a bill aimed at TikTok, backed by Republican Congressman Michael McCall. Which Democrats say want the administration to effectively ban TikTok and other ByteDance affiliates.
