In a recent conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, U.S. President Joe Biden expressed concerns regarding the ownership of popular social media app, TikTok, as confirmed by the White House.
Recent Developments: A recent discussion between Biden and Xi included concerns over the ownership of TikTok. The White House confirmed Biden’s expression of U.S. concerns about the app’s ownership, as reported by Reuters.
Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to require ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, to sell the app’s U.S. assets within six months or face a ban. This move was triggered by national security anxieties. The Senate’s actions going forward, however, remain uncertain.
Why It’s Important: Alongside TikTok’s ownership woes, the two leaders also tackled technological barriers and Taiwan during their call, marking their first communication since Xi’s U.S. visit for a summit in November.
The potential TikTok ban has triggered pushback from significant young voter demographics critical to Biden’s re-election campaign. This development coincides with the campaign’s efforts to capitalize on the platform’s influence among young voters.
The House of Representatives’ move to potentially ban TikTok unless ByteDance sells it suggests China’s ability to impede the sale, thereby gaining leverage over Washington’s decisions.