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Q The White House (inaudible) said the President would sign legislation to force ByteDance to sell TikTok. But has the President spoken with senators to ask them to vote for the bill? And is the White House encouraging the Senate to move on this quickly?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, we’ve encour- — we — we welcome the bill. We’ve said that. We’ve said that before — it — while it was going through the House, when it came out of the House. This is a divestment. This is not about banning TikTok. That’s how we see this bill, how — that’s how it’s written.
And so, obviously, we have provided technical support for — for this legislation. It’s in the Senate now. The Senate is — is taking a look at it.
I don’t have any calls to read out that the President has had with any members of the Senate or Congress or congressional members on this particular piece of legislation. But, look, we welcome it. We think it’s important to this — this legislation — this is a divestment bill, not a ban. And so, I’ll just leave it there.
All right.
Q I think when you first spoke to the TikTok legislation at the briefing, you mentioned the legal issues that the White House had raised and were working out with the sponsors. Have those technical issues, legal issues been fixed?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I — I don’t have an update for you on that. Obviously, we think that’s important, right? And we’re providing those technical assistance, as I just mentioned. I just don’t have an update on where they are in that process.
But it’s in the Senate. The Senate is looking at it. We welcome the bill. We think it’s important to deal — to deal with the — to — and I think this is something that the National Security Advisor said — right? — just last week, which is we — it — it is incredibly important to know where data lives — where privacy data — where American data lives. Does it live here or does it live in China? Right? When we talk about ownership, is ownership here or is ownership in China?
And we want to make sure that — that we’re able to protect — it’s about national security, right? — protect that data. And so, that’s what you’re seeing.
It’s a divestment; it’s not a ban. And so, we are providing technical support.
Now, it’s in the Senate. And so, we’ll let it — we’ll let that process move forward.
Don’t have anything else to share.
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Source: The White House
Speakers: Karine Jean-Pierre, Press Secretary
Format: Press Briefing
China Policy Research 