Biden Admin To ByteDance: Divest TikTok Or Face U.S. Ban

The Biden administration is demanding that Chinese tech company ByteDance sell its share in TikTok or face a ban of the social video platform in the U.S.

TikTok confirmed the development, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, to CNN, but declined to elaborate on timing or other specifics. Instead, it offered a statement contending that if protecting U.S. national security is the objective, “divestment won’t solve the problem.”

“A change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access,” said TikTok spokesperson Maureen Shanahan. “The best way to address concerns about national security is with the transparent, U.S.-based protection of U.S. user data and systems, with robust third-party monitoring, vetting and verification, which we are already implementing.”