WASHINGTON: The US House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a bill that would require TikTok to sever ties with its Chinese parent company or ban it from operating in the US.
The law is a major setback for the video-sharing app, which has soared in popularity around the world while raising concerns about Chinese ownership and potential subordination to Beijing’s Communist Party.
Lawmakers voted 352 for the proposed bill to 65 against, a rare moment of unity in politically divided Washington.
The warning shots against the app surprised many, as both Republicans and Democrats risked angering TikTok’s avid young users in an election year when the youth vote is key.
“Today’s bipartisan vote demonstrates Congress’ opposition to communist China’s efforts to spy on and manipulate Americans and affirms our determination to stop our adversaries,” Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said after the vote. It shows,ā he said.
āI urge the Senate to pass this bill and send it to the President for his signature into law.ā
But the bill’s fate remains uncertain in the more cautious Senate, where some fear it would take drastic action against the app, which has 170 million users in the United States.
President Joe Biden will sign the bill, officially known as the Protecting Americans from Regulatory Applications of Foreign Enemies Act, into law once it reaches his desk, the White House announced. .
“This process was secret and the bill stalled for one reason: it was banned,” a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement.
āWe want the Senate to consider the facts, listen to voters, and recognize the impact on our economy, our 7 million small businesses, and the 170 million Americans who use our services. I look forward to it.ā
After the vote, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew called on US app users to speak up and share their stories, including members of Congress.
“We will continue to do everything we can, including enforcing our legal rights, to protect this amazing platform we built together with you,” he said in a video posted on social media platform X.
“We believe that together we can get through this…Let’s protect your constitutional rights. Make your voice heard.”
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who must support the bill, remained steadfast, saying only that the Senate would “consider” the bill once it comes from the House.
The measure, which has only gained momentum in recent days, calls for TikTok’s parent company ByteDance to sell the app within 180 days or be banned from Apple and Google’s app stores in the United States.
It would also give the president the power to designate other applications as national security threats if they are under the control of a country deemed hostile to the United States.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the new campaign against TikTok comes as a surprise to the company, and TikTok executives were relieved when Biden joined the app last month as part of his campaign for a second term. That’s what it means.
Mr. Chu is in Washington trying to block the bill’s progress.
China warned on Wednesday that the move “inevitably hurt the United States.”
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said, “Although the United States has never found any evidence that TikTok threatens U.S. national security, we have not stopped suppressing TikTok,” calling this an “act of bullying.” he accused.
Republican lawmakers approved the bill in an unusual act of defiance against Donald Trump.
President Trump on Monday said he opposes the ban because it would strengthen Meta, the owner of Instagram and Facebook, which he has called “the enemy of the people.” said.
When Trump was president, he tried to take control of TikTok from ByteDance, but was blocked by a U.S. court.
“It will be rejected in the Senate,” said Rep. Nancy Mace, a Trump ally. “It’s not our job to do this.”
Other efforts to ban TikTok have failed, and a bill proposed a year ago failed to advance, largely due to free speech concerns.
Similarly, a state law passed in Montana banning the platform was blocked by a federal court on suspicion of violating constitutional free speech rights.
TikTok categorically denies any ties to the Chinese government and says it has restructured the company so that U.S. users’ data remains in the country under independent oversight.