The US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a bill that could ultimately ban social media platform TikTok in the country, in the latest salvo against both China and big tech companies.
The bill received overwhelming bipartisan support, with a vote of 352-65. The Senate now has a 100-member majority, but the outlook is less clear. President Joe Biden has said he intends to sign the bill into law once it reaches his desk.
If that happens, TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance would have about six months to sell its U.S. assets or before the video-sharing app is banned in the United States.
The bill stems from concerns that ByteDance is beholden to the Chinese government. Government officials have expressed concern that the data TikTok collects from its roughly 170 million U.S. users could pose a national security threat.
China's recently passed national security law, which could force organizations to cooperate in gathering intelligence, has further heightened these concerns.
However, ByteDance has repeatedly maintained that it operates independently of the Chinese government.
Speaking Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rogers said the bill “gives TikTok a clear option.”
“Separate from parent company ByteDance, which is benefiting from the Chinese Communist Party.” [the Chinese Communist Party]And they can continue to operate in the United States, or they can side with the Chinese Communist Party and face the consequences,” she said. “The choice is on TikTok.”
Opponents of Wednesday's bill cited free speech concerns and criticized the move as a haphazard effort that falls short of meaningful reform.
“Rather than rushing to target one company in a secretive process, Congress should pass comprehensive data privacy protections and better inform the public of the threat these companies may pose to national security. We should,” progressive Rep. Barbara Lee posted. on social media platform X.
TikTok declares “banned”
Ahead of the House vote, top national security officials from the Biden administration met privately with lawmakers to discuss TikTok and its national security implications.
Meanwhile, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers reported being flooded with calls from TikTok users opposing the bill.
Voted against the TikTok bill.
Not only is this a First Amendment concern, but it's bad policy.
We need to create real standards and regulations for privacy violations across social media companies, rather than targeting platforms we don't like.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) March 13, 2024
On Wednesday, several TikTok supporters, including some of the platform's most prominent content creators, gathered in front of the Capitol ahead of the vote. The company also issued a statement opposing the vote.
“This process was conducted in secret, and this bill stalled for one reason: it was banned,” TikTok spokesperson Alex Howrek said in a statement.
“We want the Senate to consider the facts, listen to voters, and recognize the impact on our economy, our 7 million small businesses, and the 170 million Americans who use our services. I look forward to it.”
Will TikTok be unavailable in the US?
TikTok's future in the Senate remains uncertain. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he would consult with relevant committee chairs to decide how to proceed with the bill.
Democratic and Republican leaders of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee said they were encouraged by the bill's passage in the House.
“[We] We look forward to working together to get this bill through the Senate and signed into law,” Sens. Mark Warner and Marco Rubio said in a statement.
TikTok will also be available in the United States for the time being.
If the bill passes, ByteDance will have six months before a ban is imposed. It's possible to sell within that amount of time, but an acquisition this large would have a tight timeline.
Failure to meet the deadline would mean that U.S.-based app stores would no longer be able to legally offer TikTok or provide web hosting services for ByteDance-managed applications.
But any forced sale will almost certainly face lengthy legal challenges. ByteDance must file an appeal within 165 days after the president signs the bill.
Last year, for example, a U.S. judge blocked a ban on TikTok by the state of Montana after the company filed a lawsuit.
A person briefed on the matter told Reuters that TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chiu was not scheduled to meet with senators in advance. He is scheduled to visit the National Diet Building on Wednesday.
