Joe Biden Demands a Forced Sale
Until recently, the Biden administration had remained incredibly silent, some could argue even playing dumb, on the question of TikTok’s fate. When asked about the issue less than two months, Biden said he was “not sure,” adding only that didn’t have the app on his own phone.
That indecision suddenly changed in late March when the administration, via the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S (CFIUS), declared TikTok must divest ownership of the company. The ultimatum came after a years-long CFIUS review of TikTok’s plan to safeguard US user data in the US. CFIUS was apparently left unconvinced TikTok’s plan would work.
Though this option increasingly looks like the cleanest solution to keep TikTo operating interrupted, Chinese government officials have signaled they will fight it from happening. Earlier this month, China’s Commerce Ministry said a forced sale would have to be approved by the government first because it would involve exporting technology.
“If the news is true, China will firmly oppose it,” Shu Jueting, a government spokesperson said.
Those comments, made hours before TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified before Congress, lead to several awkward situations for the executive when he tried to convince lawmakers TikTok was fully independent from the Chinese government.
