Many leaders in many countries and territories have expressed concern that China may gain access to the data of their residents or officials via TikTok. TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is based in Beijing. In recent months, many legislatures, including the United States, dozens of states, Canada, and the European Commission, have banned TikTok from government-owned devices.
On Wednesday, it was widely reported (and confirmed by TikTok) that the US government had told ByteDance that the app must be sold or face a complete ban in the country. Several bills are being considered that would give President Joe Biden or the Commerce Secretary the authority to ban TikTok. The reported development comes nearly three years after former President Donald Trump tried to force ByteDance to sell TikTok and just a week before TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testifies before a House committee.
