It came as the UK announced a security ban on the video app on government devices, in line with action by Washington and Brussels.
Britain joins the US and EU in taking an increasingly firm approach towards the platform, owned by the Chinese firm Bytedance, citing fears that user data could be used or abused by Chinese officials.
The White House was reported on Wednesday to have told the app that it will be banned in the United States if it continues to be owned by the Beijing-based tech firm.
A TikTok spokesperson told AFP that "calls for a ban or divestment are unnecessary", insisting that "the best path forward to addressing concerns about national security is transparent, US-based protection of US user data and systems."
Beijing also hit back against the ultimatum, urging Washington to "stop unreasonably suppressing" TikTok.
"The US has so far failed to produce evidence that TikTok threatens US national security," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a regular briefing.
"Data security issues should not be used as a tool for some countries to overstretch the concept of national security, abuse state power and unjustifiably suppress other countries' enterprises," he added.
- 'Good cyber-hygiene' -
The White House last week welcomed a bill introduced in the US Senate that would allow President Joe Biden to ban TikTok over risks the app poses to Americans' sensitive data and national security.
The bill's introduction and quick White House backing accelerated the political momentum against TikTok, which is also the target of a separate piece of legislation in the US House of Representatives.
Appearing tough on China is one of the rare issues with potential for bipartisan support in both the Republican-run House and the Senate, where Biden's Democratic Party holds the majority.
In London, the UK government phone ban, imposed with "immediate effect", follows a risk assessment by experts of third-party apps in relation to sensitive data.
As a result, government devices will only be allowed to access apps on a pre-approved list, which does not include TikTok.
Announcing the move, Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden told British lawmakers it was "precautionary" and "good cyber-hygiene".
But it is likely to rile Beijing, following the banning of tech firm Huawei's involvement in the roll-out of the UK's 5G network and several other blocks on Chinese investment in critical infrastructure and firms.
A TikTok spokesperson said it was "disappointed" with the decision and that such bans were "based on fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics".
The company "should be judged on facts and treated equally to our competitors", the spokesperson added.
- Western bans -
TikTok claims it has more than a billion users worldwide including over 100 million in the United States, where it has become a cultural force, especially among young people.
Time spent by users on TikTok has surpassed that spent on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and it is closing in on streaming titan Netflix, according to market tracker Insider Intelligence.
Activists argue a ban would be an attack on free speech and stifle the export of American culture and values to TikTok users around the world.
US government workers in January were banned from installing TikTok on their government-issued devices.
Civil servants in the European Union and Canada are also barred from downloading the app on their work devices.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the US government's ultimatum to TikTok came from an interagency board, charged with assessing risks foreign investments pose to national security.
TikTok has consistently denied sharing data with Chinese officials and says it has been working with US authorities for more than two years to address national security concerns.
UK bans TikTok on govt devices
London (AFP) March 16, 2023 -
The UK on Thursday announced a security ban on the Chinese-owned video app TikTok on government devices, in line with action by the European Union and the United States.
"We will do so with immediate effect," Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden told parliament.
Western authorities have been taking an increasingly firm approach to the app, owned by the firm Bytedance, citing fears that user data could be used or abused by Chinese officials.
Dowden said that experts had conducted a risk assessment of third-party apps in relation to sensitive government data.
As part of the measures, government devices will only be allowed to access apps on a pre-approved list.
The ban will apply to "government corporate devices" used by ministers and ministries, but not apply to personal devices or the wider public.
"This is a proportionate move," said Dowden, urging users to exercise "caution" before downloading apps.
ByteDance has long insisted that it does not keep data in China or share it with Beijing.
US officials have said that if TikTok parts ways with ByteDance it would avoid a wider national ban.
On Thursday, the foreign ministry in Beijing called on Washington to stop "unreasonably suppressing" TikTok, which claims more than a billion global users.
"The US has so far failed to produce evidence that TikTok threatens US national security," spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters.
The UK this week detailed plans to counter what it said was the "epoch-defining challenge" posed by China, in an update to its defence and foreign policy.
Since its departure from the European Union, the UK is seeking new markets and influence in Asia, in part to counter China.
Among its plans is the strengthening of security agencies to improve the resilience of critical infrastructure.
The UK has previously sparked anger in China by banning the involvement of tech firm Huawei in the roll-out of the country's 5G network.
It has also blocked Chinese takeovers of UK electronics groups and removed China General Nuclear from construction of a new power station.
When he bid unsuccessfully to take over from Boris Johnson in July, now Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised to get tough on China, calling the Asian superpower the "number one threat" to domestic and global security.
He claimed at the time that China was "stealing our technology and infiltrating our universities".
But since replacing Johnson's successor Liz Truss in Downing Street, Sunak has also stressed the need to stay engaged with China.
New Zealand to ban TikTok from MPs' devices: parliament
Wellington (AFP) March 17, 2023 -
New Zealand will ban Chinese-owned social media app TikTok from lawmakers' devices, officials told AFP Friday, becoming the latest Western nation to act on security fears about the platform.
TikTok will be banned on all devices with access to the parliamentary network, Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said.
The ban will start from March 31.
Gonzalez-Montero said the risks were "not acceptable in the current New Zealand Parliamentary environment".
"This decision has been made based on our own experts' analysis and following discussion with our colleagues across government and internationally," he added.
New Zealand joins Canada, Britain and the United States in banning the popular app from government-issued devices amid cyber security concerns that data could be viewed by officials in Beijing.
The European Commission has also ordered TikTok struck from their employees' devices.
Global action against TikTok kicked off in earnest in India in 2020.
It was among the Chinese apps barred after deadly clashes on the border between India and China, with New Delhi saying it was defending its sovereignty.
That same year, US President Donald Trump accused TikTok of spying for China.
TikTok has admitted ByteDance employees in China accessed details of US accounts but it has always denied turning over data to the Chinese authorities.
Current US president Joe Biden has threatened to ban the app outright unless TikTok separates from ByteDance.
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