BYTE THE DUST

Sell TikTok or Face Nationwide Ban, White House Tells Chinese Owners

“If protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesn’t solve the problem,” a spokeswoman said.

The Biden administration has threatened to ban TikTok in the United States unless its owners agree to sell their shares in the app, TikTok said Wednesday evening. The ultimatum, reportedly delivered to Chinese internet company ByteDance in recent weeks, marks an escalation in the battle to allow the app to continue operations amid rising national security and privacy concerns. It was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. TikTok later acknowledged the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, a federal multi-agency panel, had contacted company leaders, saying it was “disappointed” with the new demand for divestiture. “If protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesn’t solve the problem,” spokesperson Maureen Shanahan said in a statement. “A change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access.”