In the United States today the US House of Representatives passed a bill that could lead to a nationwide ban on TikTok. As to what the government moves against one of the world’s most popular social media apps means, it is not yet clear as the bill must next make its way through the Senate.
The vote tally for the bill was 352 to 65, with 50 Democrats and 15 Republicans voting in opposition to its passage. The 352 votes for the ban was a rare show of bipartisanship in what has been a sharply divided American Congress. President Joe Biden has said he would sign the bill if it reaches his desk, while the Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, who formerly was for a ban of TikTok, has recently voiced support for the app’s usage in the United States.
Supporters of the bill argue that TikTok poses a national security risk because the Chinese government could force ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to provide the personal data of TikTok users in the United States.
TikTok’s response
“This process was secret and the bill was jammed through for one reason: it’s a ban,” a TikTok spokesperson said after the vote was passed.
“We are hopeful that the Senate will consider the facts, listen to their constituents, and realize the impact on the economy, 7 million small businesses, and the 170 million Americans who use our service.”
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, who went viral for video clips showing his grilling by the US Congress, released a video following what he described as a “disappointing vote in the House of Representatives. Chew added that the bill “gives more power to a handful of other social media companies”
https://www.tiktok.com/@tiktok/video/7345981888646941994
