The US demanded that ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, sell its shares – Breaking News
News in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) stated that the request was made by the Treasury Department’s Foreign Investments Committee (CFIUS).
It was noted in the news that 60 percent of the shares of ByteDance, the owner of the TikTok application, belong to global investors, 20 percent to the company’s employees, and the remaining 20 percent to the founders.
In this context, it was stated that as long as ByteDance does not sell its shares, the use of the TikTok application in the US may be prohibited.
TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter said in a statement: “If the goal is to protect national security, divestment will not solve the problem. Changing the owner of the app does not impose any new restrictions on data flow or access.” used the sentences.
“The best way to address national security concerns is through transparent, U.S.-centric protection of U.S. user data and systems with robust third-party monitoring, review, and verification, which we are currently implementing,” said Oberwetter. said.
TICTOK BAN IN US GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES
On February 28, 30 days were given in the US for the implementation of the TikTok ban on all phones owned by the federal government.
Many government agencies, including the White House, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department, have banned TikTok without waiting for the December vote in Congress.
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the bill on Dec. 15, 2022, which would ban federal government officials from downloading TikTok to state-owned devices due to “national security concerns.”
On December 28, 2022, the US House of Representatives banned downloading and using the TikTok application on official devices used by its members and employees. Many states have passed similar laws banning the use of TikTok, including Maryland, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Indiana, and Texas.
TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew is expected to testify in Congress on March 23 on the issue.
TIKTOK IS ON THE AGENDA FOR SECURITY AND PRIVACY CONCERNS
TikTok faces serious restrictions due to security and privacy concerns that it could be used to spread pro-Chinese views and access user information.
The executive body of the European Union (EU), the European Commission, imposed a TikTok ban on its employees on February 23 due to security concerns.
In Norway, the justice minister had to apologize for not reporting that he had installed the TikTok app on his government-assigned phone.
The Danish Ministry of Defense has banned its employees from using the Chinese social media platform TikTok on devices used in official services, as part of cybersecurity measures.