DIVORCE FOR TIKTOK AND BYTEDANCE?

Bloomberg has reported that TikTok is considering a split from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to help address the security concerns of U.S. regulators.

The extremely popular app is currently undergoing a national security assessment by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. The review has been paused, however, leaving TikTok uncertain about its operations in the U.S. According to Bloomberg, its proposal to address security criticisms has not swayed the committee.

Back in 2020, ByteDance, under pressure from President Trump, made a deal with Oracle to become TikTok's trusted U.S. "technology partner." TikTok has since routed U.S. users' data through Oracle servers, though security questions remain regarding data breaches and access by China.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is scheduled to appear before Congress next week. Stay tuned to see how this plays out. Rumors that officials are referring to a potential 2023 TikTok ban as the "Sped-up Remix" couldn't be confirmed at press time.