House Approves Potential TikTok Ban as Fight Moves to Senate
The House of Representatives passes a bill requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok or face a U.S. ban, leaving the decision to a divided Senate.
The House of Representatives passes a bill that requires Chinese tech giant ByteDance to divest its ownership of TikTok or face an effective ban in the United States. The measure, known as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, passes with a strong 352-65 vote after moving quickly through committee. Lawmakers introduce the bill due to concerns that the popular social video app poses a national security threat because a foreign adversary controls it.
The legislation now moves to the Senate, where it faces an uncertain future as lawmakers appear divided on the issue. TikTok strongly opposes the bill, with a company spokesperson calling the process secret and accusing lawmakers of rushing a ban through the House. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew also shares a video on the platform expressing disappointment, warning that the legislation takes billions of dollars away from creators and small businesses while giving more power to other social media companies.
President Joe Biden indicates he will sign the bill if it reaches his desk, and the White House confirms it is providing technical support to assist with the legislation. Despite the House victory, the bill's future remains unclear as previous federal and state-led efforts to ban TikTok have stalled in the past. TikTok states it plans to exercise its legal rights to protect the platform, which currently serves 170 million American users and supports 7 million small businesses.