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TikTok has dismissed reports that the Biden administration is asking its Chinese owners to sell their shares in the popular video-sharing app, saying such a move would not help protect national security. The company was responding to a Wall Street Journal report that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, part of the Treasury Department, was threatening to ban the app in the United States unless its owners, Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd., they would. not divest. “If the goal is to protect national security, divesting doesn't solve the problem: A change of ownership wouldn't place new restrictions on data flows or access,” said TikTok spokeswoman Maureen Shanahan.
Read More: US TikTok Owners To Chinese: Sell Stakes Or Face A Ban
"La meilleure façon de répondre aux préoccupations concerning la sécurité nationale est la protection transparente, basee aux États-Unis, des données et des systèmes des utilisateurs Américains, avec une surveillance, un contrôle et une vérification robustes par des tiers, que nous mettons déjà in construction."
The Journal report cited unnamed "individuals familiar with the matter." The Treasury Department and the White House National Security Council declined to comment.
Late last month, the White House gave all federal agencies 30 days to delete TikTok from all government devices.
The Office of Management and Budget called the guidelines "a critical step in addressing the risks that the app presents to sensitive government data." Some agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and State, have already implemented restrictions. The White House no longer allows TikTok on its devices.
Congress passed the "No TikTok on Government Devices Act" in December as part of a sweeping government funding package. The law allows TikTok to be used in certain circumstances, including for national security, law enforcement, and investigative purposes.
Meanwhile, House and Senate lawmakers have moved forward with legislation that would give the Biden administration more power to clamp down on TikTok.
