TikTok could soon find itself banned in the United States. A bill outlawing the use of TikTok is set to be voted upon by members of the United States House of Representatives on Wednesday. If passed by both chambers of Congress and signed into law, the bill would force TikTok to divest the US-based part of its business or otherwise force a complete ban in the country.
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The divestment, according to a new report from Bloomberg, is a “last resort” for ByteDance, the Chinese-based parent company of the hit mobile application. A bipartisan effort authored by Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) says TikTok is a “grave threat” to the national security of the United States as China could use the data to influence or manipulate the public opinion of hose in the country.
It’s not the first time the idea of a TikTok ban has surfaced, with lawmakers first discussing the idea during the days of the Trump Administration. That time around, a spokesperson for the app called such a move a “ban on the export of American culture.”
“A U.S. ban on TikTok is a ban on the export of American culture and values to the billion-plus people who use our service worldwide. We’re disappointed to see this rushed piece of legislation move forward, despite its considerable negative impact on the free speech rights of millions of Americans who use and love TikTok.”
Although no such ban has been passed at the federal level, Montana passed a bill banning the application last spring.
“The People’s Republic of China exercises control and oversight over ByteDance, like other Chinese corporations, and can direct the company to share user information, including real-time physical locations of users,” the Montana bill read, which also criticized TikTok for ailing to remove and promoting “content that directs minors to engage in dangerous activities.”
“The bill’s champions have admitted that they have no feasible plan for operationalizing this attempt to censor American voices and that the bill’s constitutionality will be decided by the courts,” TikTok said in a statement. “We will continue to fight for TikTok users and creators in Montana whose livelihoods and First Amendment rights are threatened by this egregious government overreach.”
