U.S. House is set to vote on a proposal to ban TikTok
On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on a bill compelling TikTok to sever ties with its Chinese parent company or face a ban within the United States.
This legislation poses the most significant threat yet to the video-sharing platform, which has seen explosive global popularity while raising concerns among governments and security officials regarding its Chinese ownership and potential ties to the Communist Party in Beijing.
The vote is scheduled for 10:00 am (1400 GMT) and is anticipated to pass with overwhelming support, marking a rare moment of bipartisan agreement in the politically polarized atmosphere of Washington.
However, the bill's future in the Senate remains uncertain, with key figures expressing reservations about taking such drastic action against a highly popular app boasting 170 million users in the United States.
The White House has confirmed that President Joe Biden will sign the bill, officially titled the "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act," into law if it reaches his desk.
The legislation, which received unanimous approval in committee last week, mandates that TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, sell the app within 180 days or face removal from the Apple and Google app stores in the United States.
Additionally, the bill grants the president authority to identify other applications as national security risks if they are controlled by countries deemed adversarial to the U.S.
According to the Wall Street Journal, TikTok was taken aback by the renewed efforts from Washington against the platform. The company had been reassured by President Biden's recent presence on the app during his reelection campaign.
TikTok's CEO, Shou Zi Chew, is currently in Washington, attempting to garner support to block the bill.
In a letter addressed to the co-sponsors of the bill, seen by AFP, Michael Beckerman, TikTok's vice president for public policy, expressed concerns about the rushed nature of the legislation, which he believes raises serious constitutional issues.
Beckerman also emphasized that TikTok has never been presented with evidence to justify the proposed actions against the platform.
House Republican Mike Gallagher and House Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi, along with the White House, contend that the bill does not constitute a ban on TikTok, provided the company separates from ByteDance.
China issued a warning on Wednesday, stating that such actions would "inevitably come back to bite the United States."
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin emphasized that despite the lack of evidence that TikTok poses a threat to U.S. national security, the United States continues to suppress the platform, condemning it as "bullying behavior."
Former President Donald Trump, reversing his previous position, stated on Monday that he opposes a ban on TikTok. He cited concerns that such a ban would inadvertently bolster Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, which he characterized as an "enemy of the people."
During his presidency, Trump made efforts to take control of TikTok away from ByteDance, but his attempts were thwarted by U.S. courts.
Trump refuted allegations that his change in stance was influenced by major TikTok investor Jeff Yass, a hedge fund manager who is contributing to his campaign.
Previous attempts to ban TikTok have also faltered, with a bill proposed a year ago failing to gain traction largely due to concerns about freedom of speech.
Similarly, a Montana state law banning the platform was halted by a federal court due to suspicions that it likely infringed upon constitutional free speech rights.
TikTok firmly refutes any connections to the Chinese government and asserts that it has reorganized its operations to ensure that the data of U.S. users remains within the country, according to the company.
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