To help ease national security concerns amid a push to ban TikTok in the United States, the company has reportedly been discussing the possibility of a split from its Chinese parent company ByteDance. The short-form video app is undergoing a national security review by the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment.
The review has stalled, leaving TikTok unsure if it will be allowed to continue operating in the U.S. Splitting from ByteDance would be considered a last resort, only to be used if other measures fail to get the committee’s approval.
TikTok has faced increased criticism over fears user data could end up in the hands of the Chinese government. The Chinese government would have to approve a split between TikTok and ByteDance.