The Biden administration has rejected a proposal from TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, that would have allowed federal authorities to select the board of directors of the company's U.S. subsidiary, inspect the social media app's source code and even flip a “kill switch” if necessary.
But US authorities have rejected the plan, which TikTok has dubbed “Project Texas”, opting to back a congressional bill that would force the sale of the controversial video-sharing platform to a US owner.
by The Washington Post, The ByteDance executive made the unusual proposal in 2022 at a time when lawmakers in the House and Senate were debating how best to craft legislation that would effectively ban TikTok in the U.S. amid concerns that TikTok's Chinese owners could, or have already, harm Americans and U.S. national security.
But ByteDance's proposal was rejected. post The administration said it determined the proposal was “inadequate to address the serious national security risks” posed by TikTok.
“We have consistently engaged with the company on its concerns and potential solutions and it has become clear that divestment from foreign capital is and will continue to be necessary,” the official added.
President Biden signed legislation in April that would force TikTok to be sold or banned outright by January 2025.
ByteDance subsequently filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government to block the law from going into effect, citing TikTok users' First Amendment interests.
But a Justice Department spokesman post The law “addresses serious national security concerns consistent with the First Amendment and other constitutional limitations,” and the Justice Department said it looks forward to defending the law in court.
