By John Ikani
The US government is demanding that Chinese-owned video-sharing app, TikTok, be sold or face the prospect of being banned in the country.
The ByteDance-owned app is accused of posing a national security risk due to the data it gathers from millions of users.
TikTok has confirmed that it has received a request for a change in ownership, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, although, the White House has yet to comment.
The move follows concerns from American officials over the years that data from the app could be passed to the Chinese government.
The Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States, (CFIUS) which oversees national security risks, has reportedly recommended that ByteDance divests from TikTok.
According to the Wall Street Journal, WSJ, the Biden administration is seeking to ensure a clear break from China, and wants ByteDance to sell TikTok.
However, TikTok has stated that a forced sale would have no impact on its data flows or access.
The app claims that transparent, US-based protection of user data and systems is the best way to address national security concerns.
TikTok was first threatened with a ban under the Trump administration in 2020, but the Biden administration has also expressed concerns over the app’s data collection practices.
TikTok is known for hoovering up large amounts of data on its users, including biometric and location data, leading to fears that the information could be passed on to the Chinese government.
The app says, it has taken steps to move all US-based data to the US as part of its Project Texas initiative.
The situation comes just a week after new legislation was introduced that would allow the US Commerce Department to declare foreign-linked companies national security risks.
TikTok is already banned on government phones in the US, Canada and the EU. The app’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, is due to testify before the US Congress next week in a highly anticipated showdown.
