TIKTOK is facing a “ban” in the US after the House Representatives passed a bill demanding that the app be sold by its Chinese owner.
Lawmakers are said to have acted on concerns that the social media platform’s current ownership structure is a national security threat.
1
The measure would give TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance six months to divest the US assets of the short-video app – or face a ban.
It comes amid concerns over ByteDance’s alleged links to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Passed in the US House of Representatives by a vote of 352-65, the bill now faces a more uncertain path in the Senate where lawmakers have indicated it will undergo a thorough review.
The Senate will also need to pass the measure for it to become law.
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has not indicated how he plans to proceed.
But President Joe Biden has said if Congress passes the measure, he will sign it.
Lawmakers contend that ByteDance is beholden to the Chinese government, so it could demand access to the data of TikTok consumers in the US any time it wants.
No. 2 House Republican Steve Scalise said on X: “This is a critical national security issue. The Senate must take this up and pass it.”
Most read in Tech
Both opposition and support for the move has been bipartisan.
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who was in favour of the bill, told AP: “We have given TikTok a clear choice.
“Separate from your parent company ByteDance, which is beholden to the CCP (the Chinese Communist Party), and remain operational in the United States, or side with the CCP and face the consequences.
“The choice is TikTok’s.”
Opponents to the bill criticised it for employing “CCP-style oppression”.
Rep. Tom McClintock said: “The answer to authoritarianism is not more authoritarianism.
“The answer to CCP-style propaganda is not CCP-style oppression.
“Let us slow down before we blunder down this very steep and slippery slope.
TikTok today urged senators to listen to their constituents before taking any action.
A spokesperson said: “This process was secret and the bill was jammed through for one reason: It’s a ban.
“We are hopeful that the Senate will consider the facts, listen to their constituents, and realise the impact on the economy, seven million small businesses, and the 170 million Americans who use our service.”
TikTok has denied that it can be used as a tool by the Chinese government, claiming that it has never shared US users’ data with Chinese authorities and would refused to do so if asked.
The measure is the latest in a series of moves in Washington to respond to US national security concerns about China, from connected vehicles to advanced artificial intelligence chips to cranes at US ports.
THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY…
The Sun is your go to destination for the best celebrity news, football news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Download our fantastic, new and improved free App for the best ever Sun Online experience. For iPhone click here, for Android click here.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheSun and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
