Potential TikTok Ban: US Lawmakers to Vote on China Ownership

TikTok, the wildly popular social media app, is facing another potential ban in the United States. This week, lawmakers anticipate voting on a bill in the House of Representatives that would require TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell or spin off the app. If ByteDance refuses, the bill would essentially ban TikTok from operating in the U.S.

Lawmakers, mainly Republicans, are propelling the proposed legislation due to concerns about potential national security risks stemming from TikTok’s Chinese ownership. They assert that the app could enable the Chinese government to influence public opinion or spy by accessing user data.

However, the bill’s sponsors maintain that their goal is not to “ban” TikTok but to remove it from foreign control. As Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), one of the bill’s authors, stated, “America’s foremost adversary has no business controlling a dominant media platform in the United States.”

Opponents of the measure, including some Senate Democrats and civil liberties groups, argue that banning TikTok would violate the freedom of expression of its users. They prefer alternative proposals that would give federal authorities more power to counter foreign-controlled apps without singling out TikTok specifically.

If the bill becomes law, ByteDance would have 180 days to divest TikTok, potentially by selling it to a U.S.-based company. If ByteDance refuses, the U.S. government would prohibit app stores and web hosting services from providing TikTok to the public, effectively banning the app.

TikTok has launched a campaign urging users to “speak up” against the bill, claiming it would “damage millions of businesses, deny artists an audience, and destroy the livelihoods of countless creators across the country.”