The US government wants the Chinese parent company of TikTok to sell its stake in the video-sharing app. It says, if the firm refuses to do so, the app may be banned in the US.

Several US media outlets have reported that the government's Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States asked ByteDance to sell its shares in TikTok to companies that are not from China. The committee assesses national security risks.

The outlets said TikTok could be banned in the United States if ByteDance does not comply with the request. More than 100 million users would be affected by such a move.

TikTok reportedly said, "If protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesn't solve the problem."

TiKTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is scheduled to testify in the US Congress next week.

Concerns have been growing that TikTok users' personal information could be leaked to the Chinese government. Increasing numbers of federal and state public offices have banned employees from using the app on government computer terminals.