TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew is due to appear before the US Congress next week. It’s not clear if the Chinese government would approve any divestiture.

Any US ban would face significant legal hurdles.

TikTok and CFIUS have been negotiating for more than two years on data security requirements. TikTok said it has spent more than $US1.5 billion ($2.3 billion) on rigorous data security efforts and rejects spying allegations.

TikTok said on Wednesday that “the best way to address concerns about national security is with the transparent,US-based protection of US user data and systems,with robust third-party monitoring,vetting,and verification.”

Last week,the White House backed legislation by a dozen senators to give the administration new powers to ban TikTok and other foreign-based technologies if they pose national security threats. It could give the Biden administration new ammunition in court if they sought to ban TikTok.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan praised the bipartisan bill,saying it “would strengthen our ability to address discrete risks posed by individual transactions,and systemic risks posed by certain classes of transactions involving countries of concern in sensitive technology sectors.”

The House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee this month voted along party lines on a bill sponsored by Republican Representative Michael McCaul to give Biden the power to ban TikTok.

Reuters