The U.S. House Energy and Commerce committee has given the green light to a bill aimed at cracking down on TikTok and other Chinese-owned social media platforms.
The legislation, which seeks to address national security concerns, is part of a broader effort to safeguard American user data from potential misuse by foreign entities, as reported by Reuters.
Lawmakers aim to expedite the legislative process, with the U.S. House of Representatives considering the bill in the coming weeks.
Tick-tock, TikTok
The 50-0 vote represents the most significant momentum for a U.S. crackdown on TikTok, which has about 170 million U.S. users.
“This legislation has a predetermined outcome: a total ban of TikTok in the United States,” the company said after the vote.
“The government is attempting to strip 170 million Americans of their Constitutional right to free expression. This will damage millions of businesses, deny artists an audience, and destroy the livelihoods of countless creators across the country.”
The legislation’s resistance sets the stage for a potential legal and public relations battle as lawmakers push for the ban.
Chinese ownership
Lawmakers leading the initiative, such as Representative Mike Gallagher and Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, stress the importance of addressing national security concerns associated with Chinese ownership of TikTok.
“TikTok could live on and people could do whatever they want on it provided there is that separation,” Gallagher said
“It is not a ban – think of this as a surgery designed to remove the tumor and thereby save the patient in the process.”
They propose the legislation as a strategic measure, aiming to remove the perceived threat while allowing the platform to continue operating with new ownership.
The closed-door classified briefing on national security concerns provided lawmakers with insights that likely influenced the unanimous vote, indicating a growing bipartisan consensus on the need to act swiftly and decisively regarding TikTok’s ownership structure.
Broader impact
The legislation’s broader implications extend beyond TikTok, potentially impacting Tencent’s WeChat, which faced a ban attempt by then-President Donald Trump in 2020.
Representative Mike Gallagher refrains from speculating on WeChat but underscores the ongoing debate over which companies might fall under the bill’s purview.
The bill proposes a 165-day window for ByteDance to divest from TikTok, with potential consequences for app stores like Apple and Google if divestment does not occur.
