TikTok hoped to operate as an American company, says White House adviser

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A top White House adviser said Thursday that he expects TikTok to separate from its Chinese owner and operate as a U.S. company amid growing U.S. concerns about the security of the data handled by the app. short video.

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told reporters that a TikTok move to leave Beijing ByteDance Technology Co would be a better option than a ban on the app, which was threatened by State Department Secretary Mike Pompeo to earlier this month.

“We have not made final decisions, but … I think TikTok will withdraw from the Chinese-owned holding company and operate as an independent American company,” said Kudlow.

Kudlow did not specify whether the ownership of TikTok would change under the proposed structure. He declined to comment when asked if American companies could acquire TikTok.

When asked about Kudlow’s comments, a TikTok spokesperson said the company would not “engage in market speculation,” and referred to a statement last week that ByteDance was “evaluating changes to the structure. corporate TikTok business “and was fully committed to protecting the privacy and security of users.

Kudlow’s comments come as TikTok is increasingly targeted by the Trump administration, with U.S.-China relations strained by the coronavirus pandemic and Beijing’s move to curb freedoms in Hong Kong.

President Donald Trump’s chief of staff said on Wednesday that the administration is studying the national security risks of social media applications, including TikTok and WeChat, and the White House official is expected to take steps to address the problem in the upcoming weeks.

On Wednesday, the New York Times reported that the administration was evaluating actions against Chinese social media services like TikTok under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which gives the president broad powers to penalize companies in response to threats. extraordinary, citing people familiar with the matter.