TikTok has revealed that it proposed giving the US government the ability to shut down the platform as a measure to address concerns over data protection and national security.
This offer, known as the “kill switch,” was made in 2022 amid discussions about legislation that would ban TikTok in the US unless its Chinese parent company ByteDance sells it.
The ban stems from fears that TikTok could share user data with the Chinese government, allegations that both TikTok and ByteDance have consistently denied.
TikTok and ByteDance are now challenging the legislation in court, arguing that it violates principles of an open internet and sets a dangerous precedent for targeting speech platforms.
The proposed “National Security Agreement” included in the “kill switch” offer outlined rules for TikTok, such as funding data protection units adequately and ensuring ByteDance doesn’t access US users’ data.
The “kill switch” would give the US government the authority to suspend TikTok in the US if these rules were violated.
In their legal submission, TikTok and ByteDance claim that the US government refused to engage in serious settlement talks after 2022, despite their efforts to address concerns.
They also allege that the government did not respond to invitations to further negotiations or to visit TikTok’s Transparency Center in Maryland.
The legal battle is ongoing, with the US Court of Appeals set to hear arguments in September.
President Joe Biden’s legislation gives ByteDance until January next year to divest TikTok’s US assets or face a ban, citing national security risks.
TikTok maintains that it does not share foreign users’ data with China and operates under American oversight through deals like Project Texas with Oracle.
Despite these assurances, concerns persist, with reports indicating data sharing between TikTok in the US and ByteDance in China.
A US government official stated that divestment from foreign ownership remains necessary to address national security risks.
Source-BBC
