China Accuses US Of Spreading Disinformation And Repression Of TikTok

After hearing that the Biden administration wanted the Chinese owners of TikTok to sell their shares in the well-known video-sharing app, China accused the US of spreading false information and censoring the business.

Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, told reporters at a daily briefing that Washington has not yet provided evidence that TikTok poses a threat to national security and is abusing its authority to repress foreign enterprises by citing data security as a justification.

“The US should stop spreading disinformation about data security, stop suppressing the relevant company, and provide an open, fair, and non-discriminatory environment for foreign businesses to invest and operate in the US,” he added.

On Wednesday, TikTok rejected a Wall Street Journal report that claimed the app would be banned unless its Beijing-based owners, ByteDance, divested. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the US is a division of the Treasury department.

“A change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access”, according to Maureen Shanahan, a spokesperson for TikTok. “If protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesn’t solve the problem,” she added.

She noted that TikTok was already addressed concerns through “open, US-based safeguarding of US user data and systems, with comprehensive third-party monitoring, vetting, and verification”.

Anonymous sources were used in the Newspaper report. The National Security Council of the White House and the Treasury Department both declined to comment.

The White House told all federal agencies 30 days to remove TikTok from all official devices in late February. There are currently limitations in place for several departments, such as the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and State. 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 for study, law enforcement, and matters of national security.

Legislation that would give the Biden administration more authority to crack down on TikTok has been advanced by lawmakers in both the House and the Senate.

Two-thirds of teenagers in the US use the video app, which is still quite popular, but there is growing worry that China could control user data and use it to spread propaganda and stories favorable to its government.

The majority of the most popular ones, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, are all banned in China because of long-standing worries about the influence of foreign social media and communications apps.