According to a spokesperson for TikTok, the U.S. government is demanding that the Chinese-owned app be sold; otherwise, the popular social network may face a ban in the country.
There has been no confirmation from the U.S. regarding whether this demand was actually made, but regardless, there is no doubt that the Biden administration is increasingly concerned about the security of American data on the app used by over 100 million people in the country.
The alleged threat from the Biden government to ban TikTok is not the first warning to the Chinese. Former President Trump attempted to remove TikTok from the market, but the attempt was halted by federal courts.
Acquiring TikTok by an American company would require approval from Chinese authorities, who have been hostile to the idea of selling their first global social media success for years.
In response to U.S. concerns, TikTok has committed to spending $1.5 billion on a plan known as “Project Texas,” which would establish a stronger firewall between TikTok and the employees of its parent company in Beijing.
The plan includes data oversight by the Texas-based software company Oracle. It also includes independent monitors and auditors to ensure that neither the corporate owner ByteDance nor Chinese authorities can access U.S. user data.
Initially, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) seemed satisfied with the security measures that TikTok offered. Now, however, CFIUS has rejected TikTok’s proposal and is demanding that ByteDance (the parent company) sell the app—something that ByteDance has been vigorously resisting for years.
Earlier this month, a bipartisan bill was introduced in the U.S. Congress that, if passed, would give President Biden the authority to ban TikTok in the U.S.
Source: Npr.org