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Concerns that the Chinese government could access sensitive user data through the short-form video app TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, have prompted the U.S. government to pass legislation banning the social media platform unless it is sold to a government-approved buyer.

President Biden on Wednesday signed into law legislation that gives ByteDance up to a year to divest from TikTok after the U.S. Senate approved it on Tuesday night.

Heres why the pressure has been ratcheted up on TikTok.

Lawmakers and regulators in the West have increasingly expressed concern that TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, may put sensitive user data, like location information, into the hands of the Chinese government. They have pointed to laws that allow the Chinese government to secretly demand data from Chinese companies and citizens for intelligence-gathering operations.

They are also worried that China could use TikToks content recommendations to fuel misinformation, a concern that has escalated in the United States during the Israel-Hamas war and the presidential election. Critics say that TikTok has fueled the spread of antisemitism.

TikTok has long denied such allegations and has tried to distance itself from ByteDance, which is considered to be one of the worlds most highly valued start-ups.

Yes, India did in 2020, costing ByteDance one of its biggest markets. The government there cracked down on hundreds of Chinese-owned apps, claiming in part that they were secretly transmitting users data to foreign servers.

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Why the U.S. Is Forcing TikTok to Be Sold or Banned - The New York Times

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