The US House of Representatives has passed a bill with an overwhelming majority that would compel TikTok, the popular social media app owned by a Chinese company, to divest from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or face a ban in the United States. The bill received bipartisan support, with 352 representatives voting in favor and 65 against, demonstrating rare unity in the politically divided Washington.
However, the fate of the bill remains uncertain in the Senate, where some key figures are hesitant about taking such a drastic step against an app with 170 million users in the US. Nonetheless, the White House has indicated that President Joe Biden would sign the bill, officially known as the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act,” into law if it reaches his desk.
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If enacted, the legislation would require ByteDance to sell TikTok within 180 days or face removal from Apple and Google app stores across the US. Additionally, it grants the president authority to designate other applications as national security threats if they are controlled by countries deemed adversarial to the US.
TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, is actively lobbying in Washington to garner support against the bill. The company has raised concerns about the legislation, citing potential constitutional issues and arguing that the bill does not provide for a fair process.
The bill’s sponsors, Representatives Mike Gallagher and Raja Krishnamoorthi from both major parties, along with the White House, contend that the legislation is not aimed at banning TikTok outright but rather at ensuring its separation from ByteDance.
In response, China has issued a warning, stating that the US’s actions could have consequences. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, criticized the move, stating that despite the lack of evidence implicating TikTok in national security threats, the US continues to suppress the app.
