The US Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is advocating for legislation that would compel TikTok's parent company, China's ByteDance, to divest the popular short video app, citing security threats to the US, which include calling TikTok 'America's greatest strategic rival.'

McConnell's push comes amidst growing concerns about the potential influence of Beijing on TikTok's operations, with the US House of Representatives recently voting in favour of a divestment requirement.

Senate leaders are now considering bipartisan measures to address the situation, while TikTok insists it has never shared American user data with China and has invested heavily in protecting and storing US data domestically.

Why does it matter?

TikTok's future is sparking heated debate in Washington, with national security and First Amendment concerns taking centre stage. McConnell's involvement may rekindle efforts to pass legislation that could ban the app. Notably, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also views TikTok legislation as a critical November pre-election priority.