US Approves Legislation Prohibiting TikTok Over Security

The US House of Representatives has passed a bill with bipartisan support aimed at potentially prohibiting the social media platform TikTok from operating in the country, with a vote of 352 to 65. The legislation will now move to the Senate, where its fate is less certain. President Joe Biden has indicated his intention to sign the bill into law if it reaches his desk.

Under this bill, TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, would be required to divest its US assets within around six months or face a ban on its app in the US. The primary concern driving this legislation is the fear that ByteDance might be influenced by the Chinese government, leading to worries about the potential national security risks associated with the data collected from TikTok’s substantial American user base, particularly in light of recent Chinese laws on data and intelligence gathering.

While ByteDance maintains that it operates independently from the Chinese government, the bill has faced criticism from Chinese officials, who view it as unfair and against principles of fair competition and international trade.

US Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, supporting the bill, stressed the importance of TikTok severing ties with its Chinese parent company to continue its operations in the US, presenting it as a choice between aligning with the Chinese Communist Party or remaining operational in the US.

Critics of the bill have raised concerns about potential threats to freedom of speech and have called for more comprehensive data privacy protections rather than singling out specific companies.