The US House of Representatives plans to vote Wednesday on a bill threatening TikTok with a US ban unless it severs ties with its Chinese owner. This legislation represents a significant challenge to TikTok, which has gained massive global popularity amidst concerns over its Chinese ownership and potential compliance with Beijing’s Communist Party.
The House will actively vote at 10:00 am (1400 GMT), expecting widespread bipartisan support to showcase unity in divided Washington. Yet, in the Senate, the bill’s success seems uncertain as key members hesitate to target an app with 170 million US users.
Furthermore, President Biden is prepared to sign the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” into law, as per White House statements. The act demands TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to divest the app within 180 days or face removal from US app stores.
Additionally, the proposed legislation surprised TikTok, especially after Biden’s recent campaign activities on the platform, indicating a possible change in stance. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is actively lobbying in Washington against the bill, emphasizing its hasty progression and potential constitutional issues.
Conversely, China criticized the US’s actions as lacking evidence of TikTok threatening national security, labeling it “bullying behavior”. Meanwhile, former President Trump, who previously sought to control TikTok, now opposes the ban, attributing his change in position to concerns over empowering Meta, rather than influence from TikTok investors.
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