Changing TikTok Japan ownership could address security concerns, ruling party lawmaker says

A change in control of the Japanese unit of TikTok, the popular video-sharing app owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, could be one way to address user data security concerns in Japan, a lawmaker from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling party said.

Norihiro Nakayama, a senior member of a group from the Liberal Democratic Party examining Chinese apps, said it was unlikely to seek a ban on TikTok and other apps but would push for measures to ensure protection of user data.

Nakayama's comments come after the United States ordered ByteDance to divest the U.S. operations of TikTok within 90 days, ramping up pressure from President Donald Trump over concerns about the safety of the personal data handled by ByteDance and other Chinese tech and media firms.