TikTok ban: With Congress pushing a ban, what will happen with the Chinese-owned social media app? [Video]

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew‘s testimony before Congress on Thursday appears to have done little to allay Washington’s concerns about whether the social media platform poses a threat to Americans’ privacy and to national security. In five hours of grueling bipartisan questioning, lawmakers seemed skeptical that the app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, could be made safe for domestic users. 

“We don’t think anything said by Mr. Chew alleviated concerns about sensitive TikTok data eventually reaching the Chinese government,” CFRA analyst Angelo Zino said in a note. “[A]n outright sale or ban is looking increasingly likely in the next 12-18 months.”

TikTok is now at a crossroads: Split up and stay in the U.S., or face a possible ban.

Here’s where the company could go from here and what that means for TikTok users. 

What are TikTok’s options?

Prior to the TikTok chief exective’s testimony this week, ByteDance had planned …