Several countries have banned TikTok and many are threatening to ban the app for many reasons including data security.
Joining the countries that are having issues with TikTok is the United States.
The nation’s government is threatening to ban TikTok if they refuse to sell the app.
One of the many problems that the video-sharing app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance is facing, is its owners.
Many countries have banned the app because they do not trust the Chinese company with their data.
Although, BryteDance on several occasions assured them that its data was not being stored in China.
Many have still accused the app of posing a national security risk through data gathered from millions of users.
TikTok Confirms Threat
The request for a change in ownership, first reported by Wall Street Journal (WSJ), was confirmed to BBC News by TikTok.
According to the company, a forced sale would not change its data flows or access.
WSJ reports that President Joe Biden’s administration wants ByteDance to divest itself of TikTok to create a clear break from China.
The newspaper said the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States (CFIUS)-which oversees national security risks recommended that ByteDance divests from TikTok.
A TikTok spokesperson says it did not dispute the WSJ’s reporting and confirmed it had been contacted by CFIUS.
However, the spokesperson said the reporting was overstated and it was not clear what “divestiture” meant in practice.
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“If protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesn’t solve the problem.
“A change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access,” says the spokesperson.
“The best way to address concerns about national security is with the transparent, US-based protection of US user data and systems.”
The ban on TikTok was first threatened under former President Donald Trump in 2020.
Now, President Biden is following the same path.
