Trump said in a statement that he believes there is “credible evidence” that ByteDance can “take action that threatens to restrict US national security” following the acquisition of the company. social media app Musical.ly.
But Friday night’s order specifically targets ByteDance to destroy all data obtained from U.S. TikTok owners and inform the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment once it has done so.
ByteDance will be required to certify on a weekly basis that it complies with the commission’s mandate to take action to ensure the implementation of the order – including allowing U.S. government employees access. get “to all buildings and facilities” from ByteDance, TikTok and their subsidiaries within the US.
Attorney General William Barr has the authority to “take all necessary steps” to enforce the mandate.
The assignment also requires ByteDance to inform the commission of any intended sale or transfer and explicitly states that the commission may consider whether the purchaser as a transferor is a U.S. citizen or is owned by U.S. citizens.
The company said earlier this month that it was moving forward with talks to get TikTok, following a conversation between CEO Satya Nadella and Trump.
The transaction could be complicated and difficult to complete, and Microsoft has shifted its consumer-to-business strategy in recent years.
However, analysts say the deal is almost certainly worthwhile for both companies.
The app has exploded in popularity in the US and other western countries, and became the first Chinese social media platform to gain significant treat with users outside their home country.
It was downloaded 315 million times in the first three months of this year, more quarterly downloads than any other app in history, according to analytics firm Sensor Tower.
“TikTok US user data is stored in the US, with strict controls on employee access. The largest investors in TikTok come from the US. We are committed to protecting the privacy and security of our users, in order to” t we continue to work to bring joy to families and meaningful careers those who create on our platform, “TikTok spokeswoman Hilary McQuaide told CNN earlier this month.
Cybersecurity experts have said that TikTok’s potential risk to national security is largely theoretical and that there is no evidence to suggest that the app’s user data has been compromised by Chinese intelligence.
CNN’s Brian Fung and Clare Duffy contributed to this report.
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