TikTok may be forced to sell its US operations
Chinese owners of social media platform TikTok may face pressure to divest at this point. Security concerns about the well-known social media platform have now pushed some Biden administration officials to sell the company’s U.S. operations “to ensure Beijing can’t exploit the app for espionage and political influence, according to a new report in The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources.
Reasons behind the concept of forced selling
The original idea of a pushed sale was raised by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, representatives of the Justice Department and the Pentagon pushed for the sale. But the main concern is the idea that TikTok “Could be used by the Chinese government, which by now you should know is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, in a bid to sway US public opinion to dictate the type of content not displayed on the platform, in addition to obtaining information on US users.”
TikTok has been working with CFIUS for over two years now
TikTok said it has been working with CFIUS for more than two years to address “all reasonable national security concerns” about the company, and it has also made significant progress in addressing concerns about corporate governance, recommendations. Content and its moderation, as well as data security and access.
“We believe these concerns can be fully addressed,” the social media company said in a statement, adding that to work hand-in-hand with CFIUS, it has put in place measures that “Beyond what any peer company is doing today“
Concerns for national security have been raised in recent weeks
And in recent weeks, concerns for national security have kicked up a notch. Earlier this month, a report suggested that talks between the Biden-led administration and the app over its operations in the US would be put on hold due to national security concerns.
Remember that the app is now banned for use on government-issued devices or networks in some US states, including Georgia and Virginia, Along with some universities in Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma Similarly restrict its access to campus networks and computers.
Previous TikTok concerns over national security
Concerns about TikTok’s ownership and national security are nothing new as they have been around for quite some time. The Trump-led administration has failed to ban social media apps in the US.
