The US House of Representatives has just approved a bill that could result in TikTok’s removal from all US app stores unless ByteDance, the Chinese tech giant, divests its stake in the platform.
The legislation was a response to national security concerns previously raised regarding TikTok.
Lawmakers asserted that ByteDance has connections to the Chinese Communist Party, which ByteDance and TikTok denied, claiming they restructured the company to keep US data in the US. The app also launched a campaign urging American users to call their representatives to prevent the government from banning it, which has drawn criticism from some US lawmakers.
The bill will require ByteDance to sell its stake in TikTok within six months or face a ban from US app stores and web hosting platforms.
Although former President Donald Trump’s previous attempts to ban TikTok in 2020 were unsuccessful, Trump has criticized the new bill, arguing that limiting TikTok would unfairly benefit Facebook.
The bill which received substantial support in the House with 352 “yay” votes, well exceeding the necessary threshold of 290 votes has now passed in the House of Representatives and will now proceed to the Senate for further consideration.
The Senate’s stance on the bill remains uncertain, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has not revealed his plans for it as of the time of this report. However, President Joe Biden has affirmed his intention to sign the bill into law should it clear the Senate.
China has warned the US about the consequences of a potential ban on TikTok, accusing the US of bullying and disrupting normal business activities. Chinese media have also criticized the US’s efforts, portraying them as ugly behavior and an abuse of national security concepts.
