The US government has asked China-based ByteDance to sell its shares in the popular app TikTok or face being banned in the US, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
Western powers, including the European Union and the United States, are taking a firm stance on the application, fearing misuse of user data by Chinese officials.
Last week, the White House welcomed a bill that would allow President Joe Biden to ban TikTok.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that the bipartisan bill "would empower the United States government to prevent certain foreign governments from exploiting technology services in a way that poses a risk to Americans' sensitive data and to our national security."
TikTok claims to have more than 1 billion users worldwide, including more than 100 million in the United States.
In January, US government employees were banned from downloading the app on their phones.
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