Washington: The US House of Representatives has passed a bill that could potentially lead to the banning of TikTok in the United States, compelling its parent company, ByteDance, to divest its stake in the popular social media platform.
According to the report, there was a rare unity against the tradition during the voting in the US House, where representatives overwhelmingly supported the bill with 352 votes in favor and only 65 against.
The legislation for TikTok marks a significant setback, which has seen an immense surge in popularity over the past few years. However, Western countries have expressed their concerns several times about the ownership of the video-sharing Chinese company and the influence of the Chinese Communist Party.
Fast-tracked by the House, the legislation requires a two-thirds majority for passage and now heads to the Democratic-controlled Senate. However, the bill’s future in the Senate remains uncertain, with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer offering no definitive commitment to bring it up for a vote.
In a statement from the White House, it was said that if this bill comes to President Biden’s desk, they will sign it into law under the Act to Protect Americans from Foreign-Controlled Applications. Under this bill, the parent company of TikTok, ByteDance, will have to sell the application within 180 days, otherwise, it will face the possibility of a ban in the United States on Apple and Google Play stores.
Under the act, the president has the authority to deem any application running under the shadow of an anti-American country a threat to national security. Regarding the restrictions, this bill is quite surprising for TikTok because, according to the Wall Street Journal, President Biden, as part of his presidency, had joined TikTok just last month.
TikTok has vehemently denied accusations of being a tool for Chinese espionage, contending that it could be detrimental to the economy and the millions of American users who utilize the service. TikTok’s Chief Executive Officer, Shou Zi Chew, is currently in Washington and is trying to garner support to stop this bill.
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