Biden's Administration Is Asking TikTok Owners To Give Up Shares Or Face A Possible Ban In The US

JAKARTA - The administration of President Joe Biden is calling on TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance to ditch their stake in the popular video app or face a possible ban in the United States. This was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The move will be the most dramatic in a series of recent actions by US officials and legislators who have raised concerns that the data of TikTok users in the United States could be turned over to the Chinese government. TikTok now has more than 100 million users in the United States. In response to the report, the White House declined to comment.

Meanwhile, TikTok spokeswoman Brooke Oberwetter said in a statement to Reuters that "if protecting national security is the goal, relinquishing shares will not solve the problem: a change in ownership will not impose any new restrictions on data flow or access."

The Chief Executive Officer of TikTok, Shou Zi Chew, is scheduled to appear before the United States Congress next week.

Any ban in the United States would face significant legal hurdles. Previously President Donald Trump's administration tried in 2020 to ban TikTok but was hampered by a series of court rulings.

TikTok and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) led by the United States Department of the Treasury have been negotiating for more than two years on data security requirements.

TikTok says it has spent more than $1.5 billion on stringent data security measures and rejects accusations of espionage. The Wall Street Journal said CFIUS recently made the sales request. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance declined to comment.

TikTok said Wednesday, March 15 that "the best way to address concerns about national security is with a transparent, US-based US user data protection and system, with robust third-party monitoring, testing, and verification."