The House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday mandating that ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, must sell the social media platform or face a complete ban in the United States.
The vote resulted in overwhelming support, with 352 members of Congress voting in favor and only 65 voting against. The bill, which was swiftly approved in committee last week, gives ByteDance 165 days to divest from TikTok. Failure to do so would result in app stores like the Apple App Store and Google Play being legally prohibited from hosting TikTok or providing web hosting services for ByteDance-managed applications.
Following the vote, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew expressed disappointment and stated that the company is doing everything possible to protect the platform’s integrity and enforce their legal rights.
Chew emphasized TikTok’s efforts to secure data and shield the platform from external influences, raising concerns about the implications of the bill on other social media companies, creators, and small businesses.
The decision in the House of Representatives marks a significant development in the ongoing debate surrounding TikTok’s alleged data collection practices and potential political censorship. Despite assurances from TikTok that they do not share U.S. user data with the Chinese government, challenges persist, including past bans and legal battles.
The future of the bill in the Senate remains uncertain, as some Democrats have raised free speech concerns and proposed broader social media regulations to address foreign influence concerns without singling out TikTok specifically.
The White House supports the bill, aiming to provide a pathway for ByteDance to sell TikTok and mitigate national security risks associated with Chinese ownership. The authors of the bill stress that the goal is not to ban TikTok outright but to facilitate its sale to circumvent the block in the U.S.
While the outcome of the bill continues to unfold, TikTok and its supporters remain steadfast in advocating for the platform’s survival, raising uncertainties about China’s approval of a potential sale and the timeline for such a transaction.
As the debate continues, concerns persist about the impact of the bill on other Chinese-owned platforms in the U.S., such as Tencent’s WeChat. The discussions reflect broader efforts to address national security and privacy considerations in the social media landscape.
Reuters contributed to this report
Source: www.theguardian.com
