Biden administration reportedly demands TikTok be sold or face potential ban

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Potential TikTok ban overview: 

• Who: The Biden administration has demanded China-based ByteDance sell TikTok or face a nationwide ban in the US. 
• Why: Federal officials are concerned about the data safety of American users of the popular China-based video hosting platform.
• Where: TikTok is used by American consumers nationwide.

The Biden administration is threatening to place a nationwide ban on TikTok if the China-based company that owns it doesn’t sell the popular video hosting platform. 

It is currently unknown if federal officials have given ByteDance a time frame for selling TikTok, reports NPR. 

TikTok has reportedly faced the ire of the Biden administration over concerns that the more than 100 million Americans who use the app are putting their data at risk. 

The threat of a nationwide ban is the first time the Biden administration has threatened TikTok, however, with the demands likely to face a legal challenge from ByteDance, reports NPR. 

The Trump administration previously attempted to put TikTok out of business by placing prohibitions on the company, however the effort was reportedly prevented by a federal judge in Washington. 

TikTok has said, in response to the demand, that it is “disappointed in the outcome,” reports NPR. 

An American company would reportedly first need to acquire the blessing of Chinese officials — who have been against the idea of selling the company — before any sale would be able to be completed. 

CFIUS has spent two years examining TikTok’s data safety efforts

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS), meanwhile, has spent the last two years examining whether the data of American TikTok users is being properly safeguarded, reports NPR. 

In response, TikTok has reportedly created a plan called “Project Texas” that the company has pledged to spend $1.5 billion on and that would create a stronger firewall between users and ByteDance employees. 

While CFIUS had initially said that it was pleased with the new safeguards TikTok was enacting, the agency has now rejected the company’s proposal and joined the Biden administration in calling for it to be sold, reports NPR. 

Last October, Forbes claimed ByteDance had planned to use its Internal Audit and Risk Control department to covertly collect the physical locations of specific American TikTok users, allegedly in order to surveil them.  

Do you believe ByteDance should be forced to sell TikTok? Let us know in the comments! 

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