The US government in Washington is threatening Tiktok with a possible ban in the US if the video platform, which is particularly popular with young people, is not split off from the Chinese mother Bytedance.
Washington has urged Tiktok’s Chinese owners to sell their stakes in the short-video app or face a possible ban in the US, the company said on Wednesday. The US President’s Office declined to comment.
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the ultimatum was issued by the US authority CFIUS. This is responsible for the risk assessment of foreign investments for national security.
Tiktok CEO Shou Zi Chew is scheduled to appear before the US Congress next week. According to a media report, the company is considering divesting Bytedance as a last resort to allay US security concerns.
Bytedance confirmed that 60 percent of the shares are owned by global investors, 20 percent are owned by employees and 20 percent are owned by the founders.
Group suspected of espionage
Because of the proximity of Tiktok and the mother Bytedance to the Chinese government, there have been increasing concerns in the USA and other Western countries for months that the People’s Republic could tap personal user data or use it to manipulate public opinion.
At the end of February, the USA and Canada ordered the app to be removed from all federal service devices. The EU Commission has also made a similar decision for the mobile phones of its officials. The use of Tiktok is probably also prohibited on official cell phones of the federal government.
A change in ownership would not impose new restrictions on data flow or access.
Tiktok spokeswoman
Tiktok and the Chinese government have denied the allegations. “If protecting national security is the goal, divestment does not solve the problem: a change in ownership would not impose new restrictions on data flow or access,” a Tiktok spokeswoman said.
The best way to address national security concerns is transparent, US-based protection of US user data and systems with reliable third-party verification. US authorities and Tiktok have been negotiating data security requirements for more than two years.
More than 100 million users
A ban in the USA would entail considerable legal hurdles. Former US President Donald Trump’s attempt to ban Tiktok during his term in office failed in the US courts.
With one billion users worldwide, Tiktok is particularly popular with the younger generation. You can create short videos, an algorithm will suggest videos to watch.
The use of the short video service has recently increased significantly in the USA, including among older Internet users. More than 100 million people use the app.
Tiktok has already overtaken other networks like Youtube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook in terms of time spent on them. (Reuters)
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