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The U.S. House of Representatives has just made a significant move in the ongoing saga surrounding TikTok, passing a bill today that would compel ByteDance, the app's owner, to sell it, or face a ban in the United States.
Efforts to ban TikTok trace back to the Trump Administration, and though the issue seemed to lose steam, it has resurfaced in recent months. The House's decision follows a similar bill passed in March, which the Senate showed little interest in. However, this new version offers ByteDance a nine-month window to sell TikTok, compared to the previous bill's six months. Additionally, it gives the president the authority to grant a single, 90-day extension.
This update seems to have won over some Senate skeptics. Senate Commerce chair Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) has voiced her support, stating that the extension "assures that divestiture will more likely happen."
The bill passed with a significant majority, 360-58, drawing support from both Republicans and Democrats. It is part of a more comprehensive package that includes foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. This inclusion is seen as a strategic move by House Speaker Mike Johnson to garner more conservative support.
The Senate is expected to review the package in the coming week, and President Joe Biden has expressed his support, promising to sign it into law. However, should that occur, TikTok is likely to challenge the bill in court.
The Biden administration has been briefing lawmakers on what it perceives as national security threats posed by the app. Concerns revolve around TikTok's potential as a source of data on American users for the Chinese government and as a channel for Chinese propaganda. House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas) described the app as "a spy balloon in Americans’ phones," highlighting its potential to "surveil and exploit America’s personal information."
When news broke earlier this week that a TikTok bill was back on the table, the company issued a statement, arguing that the House is "using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill that would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate 7 million businesses, and shutter a platform."
Notably, civil liberties groups such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the American Civil Liberties Union have also opposed previous attempts to ban the app.
