TikTok granted one-week extension of forced-sale deadline
The fate of TikTok, an app that’s been downloaded more than 100 million times in the US, has been caught up for months in US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on Chinese technology companies.
By Bloomberg | Posted by Shivani Kumar
UPDATED ON NOV 26, 2020 05:05 AM IST
UShe Trump administration has given TikTok’s Chinese owner another week to complete a sale of its popular video-sharing app in order to resolve US national security concerns.
The new deadline, which had already been extended by 15 days, is Dec. 4, TikTok’s parent ByteDance Ltd. said in a court filing Wednesday.
The fate of TikTok, an app that’s been downloaded more than 100 million times in the US, has been caught up for months in US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on Chinese technology companies. The administration has argued that American’s private data gathered through the app could be siphoned off to the authoritarian regime in China, something TikTok has said it would never do. Trump had ordered in August that the app be sold to an American firm or face a ban in the US
To assuage Trump’s concerns, ByteDance forged a deal in September to sell a stake of a spun out TikTok business to Oracle Corp. and Walmart Inc. The deal was never finalized though, because the companies didn’t receive a sign-off from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US, known as Cfius, a panel led by the Treasury Department.
A Treasury spokesperson said it granted ByteDance a one-week extension to allow time to review a revised submission that Cfius recently received.
TikTok has filed multiple challenges against the ban, which are winding their way through the court system, with deadlines in certain proceedings extending past January. Several judges have already blocked the ban from going into effect and the Commerce Department said it would comply with those court rulings as the government appeals.
Those cases could lapse when President-Elect Joe Biden takes office in January, unless he decides to enforce the Trump ban and defend the previous administration’s orders in court.
The penalties that ByteDance would face if it failed to sell TikTok to a US company by the deadline were never clearly spelled out, though the order said the Justice Department could take “any steps necessary” to enforce the sale.
Topics
A day after safe inaugural for Joe Biden, over 15,000 Guard troops head home
AP
PUBLISHED ON JAN 22, 2021 04:33 PM IST
Thousands of Guard troops from all across the country poured into DC by the planeload and busload late last week, in response to escalating security threats and fears of more rioting.
Chinese mine workers to remain trapped for at least 2 weeks: Experts
AP
PUBLISHED ON JAN 22, 2021 04:31 PM IST
The mine shaft is blocked 350 meters (1,000 feet) below the surface by 70 tons of debris that extends down another 100 meters (330 feet).
Hong Kong pushes for surveillance cameras in classrooms
ANI, Hong Kong
PUBLISHED ON JAN 22, 2021 04:09 PM IST
- According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), Tommy Cheung Yu-yan, an adviser to the Executive Council, Chief Executive Carrie Lam's de facto cabinet, suggested that placing CCTV cameras in classrooms would reveal if teachers had made "subversive remarks".
Islamic State claims deadly and rare twin blasts in Baghdad
AP
PUBLISHED ON JAN 22, 2021 04:09 PM IST
The attack was the first in nearly three years to hit the capital. Elsewhere, in northern Iraq and the western desert, attacks continue and almost exclusively target Iraqi security forces.
UK considers paying people to stay home amid lockdown breaches
Bloomberg, London
UPDATED ON JAN 22, 2021 04:00 PM IST
The policy, which would cost about 2 billion pounds a month, would be designed to overcome people’s fear of losing income if forced to self-isolate by a positive test, according to a document dated January 19 obtained by the Guardian and confirmed by a person familiar with the matter.
Explained: Why has Google threatened to pull its search engine from Australia
By hindustantimes.com | Edited by Kunal Gaurav
PUBLISHED ON JAN 22, 2021 03:39 PM IST
Google Australia managing director Mel Silva on Friday warned a Senate committee in Canberra that the mandatory code of conduct proposed by the government was “unworkable”.
Moderna lags in WHO vaccine drive as chinese shots near approval
Bloomberg
PUBLISHED ON JAN 22, 2021 03:33 PM IST
In contrast, leading Chinese vaccine makers Sinopharm and Sinovac Biotech Ltd. are further along in the WHO approval process, the document shows, though their shots are not among the nearly 2 billion already procured by Covax.
Pfizer vaccine safe for elderly despite Norway scare, WHO says
Bloomberg
PUBLISHED ON JAN 22, 2021 02:57 PM IST
The World Health Organization said it sees no evidence that Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE’s Covid-19 vaccine contributed to the deaths of elderly people and urged that the shot still be used.
Poland says it could take legal action over Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine delay
Reuters, Warsaw
PUBLISHED ON JAN 22, 2021 02:44 PM IST
Poland received 176,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, a drop of around 50% from what was expected."I think that such a decision (on legal action) could be made next month if these supplies are not completed in accordance with the manufacturer's declaration," said a government spokesman.
Cash for Covid? UK says no decision on reported plan for positive tests
Reuters, London
PUBLISHED ON JAN 22, 2021 02:28 PM IST
Surveys have indicated that only a small proportion of people with Covid symptoms were coming forward for tests while many others ignored instructions to self-isolate because of the financial impact of quarantining.
China's vaccine maker to offer Pakistan 20 million doses
Bloomberg
PUBLISHED ON JAN 22, 2021 02:21 PM IST
Pakistan is not among the 51 nations that have started administering shots despite being the fifth most populous country globally, according to data collected by Bloomberg.
First-ever treaty to ban nuclear weapons enters into force
PTI, United Nations
PUBLISHED ON JAN 22, 2021 02:21 PM IST
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is now part of international law, culminating a decades-long campaign.
'Liberating feeling': Dr Fauci compares working under Trump, Biden admin
AP
PUBLISHED ON JAN 22, 2021 02:10 PM IST
While choosing his words carefully, Fauci acknowledged that it had been difficult at times to work for Trump, who repeatedly played down the severity of the pandemic.
China finds coronavirus cluster in major chicken processing plant
Reuters, Beijing
PUBLISHED ON JAN 22, 2021 01:48 PM IST
Meatpacking workers in the United States, Brazil and across Europe were among the groups hit hardest by Covid-19 last year.
Sri Lanka approves vaccine amid warnings of virus spread
AP
PUBLISHED ON JAN 22, 2021 01:44 PM IST
- In over three months since, Sri Lanka has reported more than 52,000 new patients and 260 deaths. Between 500 to 900 new cases are being reported daily.