US President Donald Trump has threatened to ban TikTok from the United States, warning the app poses a threat to national security because of its ties to China.
TikTok’s fun, goofy videos and ease of use has made it immensely popular since being launched by its parent company, Bytedance Ltd, in 2017. Bytedance operates a similar but separate version of the app in China, known as Douyin.
US tech giants like Facebook and Snapchat see TikTok as a competitive threat, with the platform attracting tens of millions of US users and hundreds of millions globally.
But its Chinese ownership has raised concerns about the censorship of videos, including those critical of China's ruling Communist Party, and the potential for sharing user data with Chinese officials.
TikTok says it does not censor videos and it would not give the Chinese government access to US user data. It claims all US user data is stored in the US, with a backup in Singapore.
US officials appear unpersuaded, however.
So, here's what you need to know about the controversy:
Why does Trump want to ban TikTok in the US?
US officials have raised concerns that data collected by ByteDance via TikTok may end up being passed to the Chinese government.
Speaking on Friday, Mr Trump said he would take action imminently to ban TikTok in the United States.
“As far as TikTok is concerned, we’re banning them from the United States,” President Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he returned from Florida.
Mr Trump's threat to ban the app comes amid heightened tensions between his White House administration and the Chinese government over a number of issues, including trade disputes and Beijing's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Can the President really block the Chinese app?
It is not clear what authority Mr Trump has to ban TikTok, how that ban would be enforced and what legal challenges it would face.
Speaking on Friday, the president said he could use emergency economic powers or an executive order to enforce the action, insisting, “I have that authority.”
He told reporters on board Air Force One he could sign an executive order on the issue as early as Saturday.
But on Monday, Reuters news agency reported Mr Trump had granted US firm Microsoft 45 days to negotiate the acquisition of the app in a possible about-face.
The negotiations between ByteDance and Microsoft will be overseen by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), a US government panel that has the right to block any agreement, according to three unnamed sources said to be familiar with the matter cited by Reuters.
Microsoft meanwhile said its discussions with Bytedance over a possible buyout would be completed by September 15.
“Following a conversation between Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and President Donald J. Trump, Microsoft is prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the United States,” the US tech giant said.
“Microsoft fully appreciates the importance of addressing the president’s concerns. It is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury.”
Under the proposed deal, Microsoft said it would take over TikTok’s operations in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It said it would ensure that all private data of TikTok’s American users is transferred to and remains in the United States.
ByteDance was previously seeking to keep a minority stake in the US business of TikTok, which the White House had rejected, according to a report by Reuters.
The developments came after reports by Bloomberg News and the Wall Street Journal in recent days cited anonymous sources as saying the White House could soon announce a decision ordering ByteDance to divest its ownership in TikTok.
How has TikTok responded?
TikTok insists users' personal data cannot be accessed by Beijing and that it has no ties to the Communist Party.
Reports on Monday suggested the app is planning to open a headquarters in London as it continues to try and distance itself from China.
The move could put the UK at odds with Mr Trump, but British officials are reportedly set to give it the green light, with key executives relocating to the UK as part of the move.
TikTok declined to comment on its plans.
Last month, the app’s head of public policy for Europe, Theo Bertram, denied the company had halted plans for a London HQ because of escalating tensions between the UK and China over Huawei and Hong Kong.
Are other apps at risk of being banned in the US?
It is not yet clear, but US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday the White House plans to take action against a number of Chinese software companies it sees as linked to the Chinese Communist Party.
“These Chinese software companies doing business in the United States, whether it’s TikTok or WeChat — there are countless more … are feeding data directly to the Chinese Communist Party, their national security apparatus,” he said.
“Could be their facial recognition patterns. It could be information about their residence, their phone numbers, their friends, who they’re connected to. Those — those are the issues that President Trump has made clear we’re going to take care of."
The Trump administration has overseen a broad security crackdown on Chinese companies, including telecom providers Huawei and ZTE.
The White House has ordered that the US stop buying equipment from those providers to be used in US networks.
Mr Trump has also tried to steer allies away Huawei over concerns the Chinese government has access to its data, which Huawei denies.
