TikTok could be banned completely in the US if it doesn't break away from Chines...

TikTok could be banned completely in the US if it doesn't break away from Chinese owners

It's looking like the US government may have issued an ultimatum to TikTok, at the risk of having the popular social network banned completely from the country. CNN reports that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) have sent a message to TikTok, urging them to get rid of its Chinese owners at ByteDance and be spun off into its own company.

When contacted about the ultimatum, a TikTok spokesperson stated:

A change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access. The best way to address concerns about national security is with the transparent, US-based protection of US user data and systems, with robust third-party monitoring, vetting, and verification, which we are already implementing,

In addition, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the US "has so far failed to produce evidence that TikTok threatens US national security."

The article states that CFIUS has actually been in talks with TikTok to keep operating in the US. However, this new ultimatum from the agency suggests that the US may be done with negotiations with the social network.

The US and other countries have maintained that data from TikTok's users could be taken and used by the Chinese government. Both the European Union and Canada have now banned the use of TikTok on government devices. The US is going to do the same, with the ban set to take effect in late March. Today, the UK government announced that TikTok is now banned immediately from all of its government devices.