As a result of allegations that the Biden administration was urging TikTok’s Chinese owners to sell their shares in the well-known video-sharing app, China accused the United States on Thursday of spreading misinformation and stifling the app.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters at a daily briefing that the United States has not yet shown evidence that TikTok poses a threat to its national security and is abusing its authority to repress foreign businesses by citing data security as an excuse.
The United States should cease distributing false information about data security, stop harassing the relevant company, and create an atmosphere that is welcoming to foreign companies looking to invest and do business there, according to Wang.
TikTok rejected a Wall Street Journal article on Wednesday that said the app will be banned in the United States unless its Beijing-based owners, ByteDance Ltd., withdrew. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States is a division of the Treasury Department.
As stated by TikTok spokesperson Maureen Shanahan, “If defending national security is the goal, divestment doesn’t solve the problem: A change in ownership would not impose any additional constraints on data flows or access.
According to Shanahan, TikTok is already allaying worries by providing “transparent, U.S.-based protection of U.S. user data and systems, with comprehensive third-party monitoring, vetting, and verification.”
The White House gave all federal agencies 30 days in late February to remove TikTok from all official devices. Several organizations, such as the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and State, already have limitations in place. Already, TikTok is not permitted on White House devices.
As part of a comprehensive government financing package, Congress passed the “No TikTok on Government Devices Act” in December. The law does permit the use of TikTok in specific circumstances, such as the purposes of law enforcement, research, and national security.
Legislation to give the Biden administration more authority to crack down on TikTok has been advanced by lawmakers in both the House and Senate.
Two-thirds of teenagers in the United States still use TikTok, which is still very popular. Yet, there is growing concern that Beijing could seize control of the app’s American user data and use it to spread propaganda and narratives in favor of Beijing.
Long worried about the impact of foreign social media and messaging platforms, China has banned the majority of the most popular ones, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
