Regardless of how well TikTok addresses security concerns, some US officials are planning to sell the platform’s US division to a local body for good.
This comes from The Wall Street Journal, which reported based on an insider’s note revealing the plans. A TikTok spokesperson responding to this has been despondent, saying that they have been addressing all the security issues raised by the US for the last two years, yet a plan of selling it is being made.
Plans to Sell the TikTok US
Taking the entertainment world by storm, TikTok has been under scrutiny by many governments for various reasons since its inception. Several analysts and researchers have alleged the app for security concerns, as it sucks more data than needed, and for being a product of China.
This has been significant in the US – as it’s currently running a cold war against China. This led the US government to doubt TikTok’s credibility in keeping its users’ data safe, thus wanting its US division to be sold to any local body.
Though it almost happened a couple of years ago, TikTok backed off, promising to keep its data integrity at high standards. And it’s even been cooperating with US agencies to address any security issue they raise and keep the user data safe.
Yet, some US officials are reportedly planning to force ByteDance (TikTok’s parent company) to sell the US division of its video company to an ally for good. This comes from The Wall Street Journal, which reported citing a source from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US.
As the plans are being drawn out, TikTok representative Brooke Oberwetter told the publication as;
“We believe those concerns can be fully resolved, and CFIUS is currently considering a comprehensive solution that addresses key concerns around corporate governance, content recommendation and moderation, and data security and access.”
Yet, plans for selling TikTok’s US wing are being made.
