The US House of Representatives passed a legislation Saturday that could lead to a nationwide ban of TikTok, if the Chinese owner of the social media platform doesn’t sell it within a year.
The bill was passed by a bipartisan vote of 360-58, and the Senate is expected to vote on it as soon as Tuesday, reported CBS News.
Last month, lawmakers in the House advanced a similar bill, but efforts stalled in the Senate. This time, however, the bill is attached to a larger foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
Also, it addressed concerns from senators by extending deadline for TikTok to find a buyer from six months to a year.
The company tried hard to thwart the legislation, by pushing the app’s 170 million US users, many of them children, to call Congress and express their opposition.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew posted a video on the platform last month speaking to the app’s users, “We will not stop fighting and advocating for you. We will continue to do all we can, including exercising our legal rights, to protect this amazing platform that we have built with you,” he said.
This has angered lawmakers in the Congress, amid growing concerns about Chinese threats to the US.
The quick path of the bill through Congress is extraordinary as it targets one company and because Congress has minimized intervention in tech regulations for decades.
The recent TikTok ban stresses widespread concerns about China. There are fears among members of both parties, as well as intelligence officials, that the app’s owner, ByteDance, could be used to collect American user data for Chinese authorities or censor or promote TikTok content favorable to China’s interests.
TikTok has denied allegations that it could be used as tool of the Chinese government and has said it has not, and would not, share American user data with Chinese authorities.
Before the House vote, TikTok wrote a post on “X” voicing its displeasure at the bill that would “trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate 7 million businesses, and shutter a platform that contributes $24 billion to the U.S. economy, annually.”
It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill that would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate 7 million businesses, and shutter a platform…
— TikTok Policy (@TikTokPolicy) April 18, 2024
Following the bills’ passage, TikTok spokesman Alex Haurek said, “It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill that would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans.”
If the legislation becomes law, the company would likely try to challenge it in court, which could significantly delay the timeline set by Congress or prevent the law from taking effect.
