US opens national security review into TikTok video app

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The Trump administration has initiated a national security review into the TikTok short-form video app, which has grown a considerable base among younger segments of American society, according to multiple reports published Friday.

The probe is being carried out by the interagency Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, the reports claimed.

It focuses on the $1 billion acquisition of popular lip-syncing video app Musical.ly by TikTok's parent company, Beijing ByteDance Technology Co., in 2017.

Multiple federal lawmakers have zeroed in on TikTok over censorship and privacy concerns, urging regulators to open a probe.

“While we cannot comment on ongoing regulatory processes, TikTok has made clear that we have no higher priority than earning the trust of users and regulators in the U.S.,” a ByteDance spokesman told The New York Times. “Part of that effort includes working with Congress, and we are committed to doing so.”

The probe comes amid a trade war between China and the U.S. that has included disagreements over trade practices related to advanced technologies.

The row between the world's top two economies has rattled the global economy, but a partial agreement touted by U.S. President Donald Trump as a "phase one" pact has eased nerves as the sides prepare to formally sign the agreement.