The US House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday that, if approved by the Senate, would require China tech giant ByteDance to divest TikTok. If they refuse to do so, TikTok will effectively be banned in the US.
The vote was not particularly close, passing with a bipartisan count of 353-65.
The House passed a bill on Wednesday that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app TikTok if its China-based owner doesn’t sell, as lawmakers acted on concerns that the company’s current ownership structure is a national security threat. pic.twitter.com/2HYMWk4RAK
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 13, 2024
The bill—called Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act—was introduced earlier this month by Representatives Mike Gallagher (R-Wisconsin) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Illinois). Both bill authors are members of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
The reason behind the bill is the idea that TikTok is a threat to domestic security because of its control by a foreign adversary.
Is TikTok Banned?
TikTok is not banned yet. The bill still has to go through the Senate where Senators seem not so certain about the measure. Many in both the house and senate have criticized the bill for being rushed with little information displayed to the public beforehand.
I’m voting NO on the TikTok forced sale bill.
This bill was incredibly rushed, from committee to vote in 4 days, with little explanation.
There are serious antitrust and privacy questions here, and any national security concerns should be laid out to the public prior to a vote.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 13, 2024
A spokesperson for TikTok grilled the bill, calling it “jammed through,” and a disservice to creators and small businesses who rely on the platform for their livelihoods. “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 realize the impact on the economy, 7 million small businesses, and the 170 million Americans who use our service.”
Although US Representatives are defending the bill as “not a ban,” it effectively would remove all ByteDance applications from US app stores should the company refuse to divest within six months.
All things considered, if the bill passes the Senate, you can expect TikTok to be removed from the US within six months.
Peter Candia is the Food + Drink Editor at New Jersey Digest. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Peter found a passion for writing midway through school and never looked back. He is a former line cook, server and bartender at top-rated restaurants in the tri-state area. In addition to food, Peter enjoys politics, music, sports and anything New Jersey.
