Amid TikTok row, China says it does not ask firms for foreign data

China insisted Friday it does not ask companies to hand over data gathered overseas, as the Chinese-owned TikTok faces mounting calls for a ban in the United States.

Pressure is building on the massively popular video-sharing app — owned by the Chinese firm Bytedance — to obtain new ownership or lose access to the enormous US market.

In a gruelling five-hour hearing with US lawmakers Thursday, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew faced relentless questioning from combative US lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle over the app’s ties to China and its danger to teens.