The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that the US government has ordered China-based ByteDance to sell its stake in the popular TikTok app or risk a countrywide ban. Western nations, like the European Union and the United States, have been approaching the app with greater vigor due to concerns that user data may be utilized or misused by Chinese authorities.
The US National Security Adviser
After a Chinese surveillance balloon was shot down in American skies earlier this year. The level of worry in this area increased. According to a statement from the US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. The White House last week applauded a bill that would have allowed President Joe Biden to outlaw TikTok.
According to Sullivan, a bipartisan measure “would allow the United States government to ban specific foreign governments from utilizing digital services. In a way that poses hazards to Americans’ sensitive data and our national security. The Senate bill and the White House’s backing gave a political reaction against TikTok. Which is also the subject of another piece of legislation in the US House of Representatives, additional momentum.
TikTok Users
One of the few topics that have the potential for bipartisan support in both the Republican-controlled House and the Senate. Where Biden’s Democratic Party maintains a majority and is seeming tough on China. In the US, where it has become a cultural force, particularly among young people. TikTok claims to have more than 100 million users, out of a total user base of more than one billion.
A ban, according to activists, would be an assault on free expression. And prevent TikTok members from throughout the world from absorbing American culture and values. In January, the app was forbidden for US government employees to download on their smartphones.
TikTok is not allowed on the phones of government employees in the European Union, Canada, or anywhere else for that matter. The ultimatum to TikTok, according to the Journal story, came from the US agency in charge of determining the dangers foreign investments pose to national security.
Both US government representatives and TikTok declined to comment on the story. TikTok has repeatedly insisted that it does not share user information with Chinese authorities. And claims to have been collaborating with the US for almost two years to solve national security issues.
According to market researcher Insider Intelligence, users now spend more time on TikTok than they do on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. It is also catching up to Netflix, the leader in streaming television.
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