US lawmakers are pressuring TikTok to cut ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or face a ban. A bipartisan group of 20 lawmakers introduced a bill that would prohibit platforms controlled by ByteDance from being available on US app stores or web hosting services unless they are no longer connected to China. The legislation would also grant the president the authority to extend the ban to other social media platforms that pose a similar national security risk. Lawmakers expressed concerns about TikTok being a key news source for young people. However, a TikTok spokesperson argues that the bill is an outright ban on the app. The bill would give ByteDance approximately six months to divest. The White House has also expressed national security concerns about TikTok’s use on government devices. Several US politicians allege that TikTok is under the influence of the Chinese government and is a tool of espionage, claims that the company denies. Regulators worldwide are concerned about potential access to user data by Chinese employees or government entities. TikTok insists that user data is securely stored in Singapore and the US. The platform experienced a surge in popularity during pandemic lockdowns and boasts over one billion global users. In December 2022, ByteDance disclosed that employees accessed the data of two journalists during an internal investigation into corporate leaks.
© 2024 AFP
