US House Passes Bill to Ban TikTok Amid Concerns Over Chinese Ownership
The US House of Representatives has passed a bill with overwhelming support, signaling a potential ban on TikTok unless the popular video-sharing app divests from its Chinese owner, ByteDance. The bipartisan legislation, titled the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act,” gained significant traction, receiving 352 votes in favor and 65 against. Concerns over TikTok’s Chinese ownership and its potential ties to the Communist Party in Beijing have spurred the move, raising national security apprehensions.
If the bill advances to the Senate and is signed into law by President Joe Biden, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance will be required to sell the app within 180 days or face removal from Apple and Google app stores in the United States. Additionally, the president will have the authority to designate other applications deemed national security threats if controlled by countries adversarial to the US. While the fate of the bill remains uncertain in the Senate, its passage in the House underscores growing bipartisan consensus on addressing concerns surrounding TikTok’s ownership.
TikTok executives, including CEO Shou Zi Chew, are actively lobbying against the bill, citing constitutional concerns and emphasizing the company’s commitment to data privacy. However, Republican lawmakers have rallied behind the legislation, signaling a shift from former President Donald Trump’s previous attempts to ban TikTok. Despite Trump’s recent opposition to a ban, citing concerns over strengthening Meta (formerly Facebook), the bill reflects a bipartisan effort to address national security risks associated with foreign-controlled applications. As debates continue over the bill’s implications for free speech and international relations, TikTok faces mounting pressure to navigate its relationship with the US government and address concerns over data privacy and security.
