The United States House of Representatives has overwhelmingly approved a bill that could potentially lead to the banning of the social media giant TikTok within the country, marking a significant move against both China and big tech.
The bipartisan-supported bill garnered a resounding vote of 352 to 65 in favor, signaling widespread concern over TikTok’s ownership by the Chinese company ByteDance. Should the bill pass the 100-member Senate, President Joe Biden has indicated his willingness to sign it into law.
Under the proposed legislation, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, would be required to divest its US assets within approximately six months or face a ban on its popular video-sharing app in the United States. The bill is driven by apprehensions that ByteDance’s ties to the Chinese government could compromise national security, particularly given recent Chinese laws empowering intelligence gathering.
US Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers emphasized that the bill presents TikTok with a clear ultimatum: either sever ties with ByteDance, which is linked to the Chinese Communist Party, and continue operations in the US, or face the consequences of aligning with the CCP.
However, critics of the bill raised concerns about potential infringements on freedom of speech and criticized the rushed nature of the effort. Representative Barbara Lee underscored the importance of comprehensive data privacy protections and called for greater transparency in addressing national security threats posed by tech companies.
Ahead of the House vote, a senior national security official from the Biden administration conducted a closed-door briefing with legislators to discuss TikTok’s implications for national security.
Meanwhile, supporters of TikTok, including prominent content creators, gathered at the US Capitol to express their opposition to the bill. TikTok itself issued a statement condemning the legislative move, describing it as a secretive process aimed at imposing a ban.
TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek highlighted the potential economic ramifications and urged the Senate to consider the impact on small businesses and the millions of Americans who use the platform.
