US ready to ban TikTok if deal on divestiture cannot be reached

The US government is ready to let the ban on social media app TikTok go ahead if a deal on divesture by Chinese company Bytedance cannot be reached, a US government official, who has knowledge of a round of talks held in Madrid, told reporters on Monday.

The official said many technical aspects of the divestiture have been worked out, but the Chinese officials have tied any agreement to unrelated demands on US tariffs and technology restrictions.