Freedom of speech & expression

ByteDance Denies It's Exploring TikTok Sale

Published APR 26 2024

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Image credit: Chesnut/Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images

The Spin

Anti-China narrative

TikTok as currently constituted is a national security risk because ByteDance, like other Chinese companies, is legally required to submit data to the PRC government. ByteDance must divest its ownership in order to keep users' data privacy secure.

The New York Times

Pro-China narrative

This US law isn't about national security, it's about commercially undermining China. ByteDance will fight this in the courts, and if it loses it might shut down the app and let the US deal with the backlash of a world without TikTok.

Hong Kong Free Press HKFP