WASHINGTON D.C. – In a significant move that underscores growing bipartisan concerns over national security, a pivotal House committee is slated to vote this Thursday on a groundbreaking bill aimed at potentially removing the TikTok app from all American smartphones and tablets.
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The proposed legislation emerges in response to apprehensions regarding the app’s connections to its parent company, ByteDance, which has ties to China.
The bill stipulates a stringent condition for TikTok, immensely popular in the US with an estimated 170 million users, necessitating its divestiture from ByteDance to avoid a ban from US app stores.
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The House Energy and Commerce Committee, currently reviewing the bill, could enforce this dramatic shift in ownership within a mere 165 days, slightly over five months from enactment.
Failure to comply would lead to a prohibition on app store operators, including industry giants like Apple and Google, from offering TikTok for downloads. Additionally, the legislation considers similar restrictions for apps under the control of entities deemed as foreign adversaries.
This move is particularly notable as it represents the most assertive legislative action against TikTok following testimonies by the company’s CEO, Shou Chew, who previously assured lawmakers of the app’s non-threatening nature to American users.
The bill, gaining traction with bipartisan support, was introduced by Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, the chairman of a select House committee focused on China, and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat and the committee’s ranking member.
Despite its backing from significant political figures and the White House, the bill’s fate in the Senate remains uncertain.
In reaction to the proposed legislation, TikTok has initiated a vigorous campaign to counteract the bill, appealing directly to its vast user base.
The platform has issued warnings through in-app notifications, suggesting that the bill infringes on Americans’ constitutional rights to free expression, and could detrimentally affect millions of businesses and content creators nationwide.
This mobilization effort has led to a surge in calls to Congress from TikTok users, reportedly overwhelming some offices with the volume of incoming communications.
Click here to read the legislation.
Contrary to claims of imposing a ban, Rep. Gallagher clarifies that the bill merely pressures TikTok to dissociate from the Chinese Communist Party, allowing its continued operation under a revised ownership structure. However, TikTok disputes this characterization, insisting that the legislation effectively constitutes a ban.
The bill’s implications extend beyond TikTok, potentially impacting other sectors of the economy by restricting the flow of TikTok content or traffic through various internet hosting services. This broader reach highlights the extensive potential consequences of the bill, which stems from longstanding concerns about the possibility of Beijing accessing user data through China’s intelligence laws.
Previous attempts to restrict TikTok, including during the Trump administration, have encountered legal and political hurdles, emphasizing the complex balance between national security and personal freedoms. The ongoing debate surrounding the bill reflects these broader tensions, with organizations like the ACLU voicing strong opposition due to First Amendment concerns, further complicating the legislative path ahead for this controversial proposal.
