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The Biden administration and CFIUS are pushing for a sale of TikTok in the US. The Chinese government could also block a TikTok sale outright before bidding kicks off. But the list of companies that would actually consider buying TikTok is small, experts told Insider. "I think Microsoft would be one of the only big money, big company possibilities." Ultimately, separating TikTok's US operations, whether in a sale to a big tech firm or a spin off, is complicated.

☆ Biden administration demands TikTok’s Chinese owners spin off their share or face US ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The Biden administration has threatened to ban TikTok from the United States unless the app’s Chinese owners agree to spin off their share of the social media platform, TikTok acknowledged Wednesday evening. “If protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesn’t solve the problem,” TikTok spokesperson Maureen Shanahan said in a statement. But so far, there has been no evidence that the Chinese government has actually accessed TikTok user data, and no government has enacted a broader ban targeting TikTok on personal devices. TikTok has sought to address policymakers’ concerns with voluntary technical and bureaucratic safeguards that it says will help ensure US user data may only be accessed by US employees. Part of that initiative, which the company calls Project Texas, involves storing personal data with the US cloud giant Oracle.

☆ TikTok could be banned in the US unless the app’s Chinese owners sell their stakes. The Biden administration is demanding it, WSJ reports.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US is threatening TikTok's Chinese owners with a US ban if they don't sell their stakes, according to the WSJ. TikTok has responded saying the forced sale won't address the perceived national security risk. Still, TikTok's leadership is considering splitting from ByteDance to work around the national security concerns, Bloomberg reported. In December, the Senate voted to ban TikTok on government devices, and several states have since introduced full or partial bans of the app. Universities have also made moves to ban TikTok.

☆ TikTok went big at SXSW and creators discussed building lasting businesses. Here are 3 takeaways that I left Austin with.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Creators gathered at Meta's Austin, TX offices for a series of talks hosted by the Asian Creator House. Whether creators were talking about pay transparency, or startups were pitching their products as solutions, creator monetization was an ongoing conversation at SXSW. "More and more creators are being transparent as to how much they're making," said Monica Ravichandran, creator and Collective Voice staffer. At the Asian Creator House, led by Always Be Creating cofounders Justin Nguyen and Jerry Won, creator pay and business building were also top of mind. But on the brand and marketing side of SXSW, AI wasn't a potent topic, according to Influencer's Penchin.

☆ TikTok unveils new European data security regime
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, March 8 (Reuters) - TikTok has announced out a new data security regime, nicknamed “Project Clover”, amid growing pressure from lawmakers on both sides of the Atlantic. The European Parliament, European Commission and the EU Council recently banned TikTok from staff phones due to growing concerns about the company, which is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, and whether China's government could harvest users' data or advance its interests. At a news briefing on Wednesday, TikTok said it would begin storing European user data locally this year, with migration continuing into 2024. That’s been our approach in the U.S., that’s been our approach everywhere,” said Theo Bertram, VP of government relations and public policy. TikTok has engaged a similar strategy in the U.S., nicknamed “Project Texas”, in an attempt to placate hostile lawmakers.

☆ TikTok's codenamed 'Project Clover' is a push to win over European lawmakers as it faces a critical US ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The visit was part of "Project Clover," which aims to convince European lawmakers that user data is safe. The codename appears to reference Ireland, where TikTok is planning a second data center. TikTok has previously said it wouldn't comply with any demand from China, and has rolled out "Project Clover" in Europe, and "Project Texas" for the US in an attempt to assure politicians. A spokesperson for TikTok told Insider the discussion on Monday was part of TikTok's regular engagement with European policymakers. The name "Project Clover" appears to reference one of the national symbols of Ireland — where it currently has one data center and plans for a second, per a company statement.

The six countries included in the bill are China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela and Cuba, Warner said. "This competition with China around who dominates technology domains, that really is where the nexus of national security lies going forward," Warner said. Warner said the bill is not solely meant to address TikTok, and rather should create a "systemic approach" that prevents the need for one-off actions. "A U.S. ban on TikTok is a ban on the export of American culture and values to the billion-plus people who use our service worldwide. We hope that Congress will explore solutions to their national security concerns that won't have the effect of censoring the voices of millions of Americans."

☆ US Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco says she 'would not advise' anyone to use TikTok due to data security concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Deputy AG Lisa Monaco said she does not use TikTok, and would not advise anyone to use the app. Several US officials have been critical of TikTok, and have threatened to ban access to the app. "Its national security law requires any company doing business in China to make its data accessible to the government," Monaco said in prepared remarks for the event. That popularity can create valuable data for China to leverage in any number of ways in the future, according to Monaco. "I don't use TikTok, and I would not advise anybody to do so because of these concerns," Monaco said.

☆ Apple and Google should boot TikTok from their app stores, Democratic senator urges
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., urged the CEOs of Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their mobile app stores immediately in a letter on Thursday, citing widespread concerns that the Chinese government could access information on Americans using the app. "These obvious risks render TikTok, in its current form, an unacceptable threat to the national security of the United States." TikTok has repeatedly sought to reassure concerned American lawmakers and officials that it does not store U.S. user data in China. It has also been negotiating with the U.S. government about how it can mitigate potential national security risks while continuing to operate here. "Unfortunately, Senator Bennet's letter relies almost exclusively on misleading reporting about TikTok, the data we collect, and our data security controls," TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter said in a statement.

☆ TikTok tries to sell ‘Project Texas’ as it fights for survival in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( David Ingram | David Ingram Covers Tech For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Some of the details appeared Thursday on the security blog Lawfare, where two people provided a rundown of what they said they heard at one TikTok briefing last week. He said his center has received funding from TikTok, but that he had no view on whether TikTok’s assurances were satisfactory. “We have shifted our approach,” Erich Andersen, the general counsel of ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, told the Times. A key partner of TikTok is the U.S. computing giant Oracle, which has its headquarters in Austin, Texas, where TikTok may choose to house the data of its U.S. users. The code name “Project Texas” became public last year.

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