US House Votes in Favor of Banning TikTok
High-profile figures including Donald Trump and Elon Musk have voiced opposition to the ban.
April 21, 2024 06:01 AM
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TL;DR The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill to ban TikTok nationwide by 2025 if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, does not divest from the app. The bill, which also includes funding for Ukraine, now moves to the Senate, with potential presidential approval pending.
The social media landscape in the United States could see a monumental shift with the recent passage of a bill by the U.S. House of Representatives which targets the widely popular app TikTok.
On Saturday, the House cast a decisive vote favoring legislation that may result in TikTok's nationwide ban by 2025, pending it does not sever ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. The vote ended with a substantial majority, with 360 Yes votes against 58 No votes, indicating strong bipartisan support.
This development is a significant step in a series of governmental actions scrutinizing the app's data privacy and national security implications.
The bill addresses the TikTok issue and allocates approximately $60.8 billion in funding to Ukraine as a loan, alongside authorization to utilize frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine's war effort.
This inclusion underscores the broad scope of the legislative package and its geopolitical implications. Concerning TikTok, the legislation mandates that the app must divest from ByteDance within the next 270 days or face a nationwide ban.
This timeline has been extended from the initial proposal thanks to interventions from lawmakers like Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.
"We need to ensure there is enough time for a new buyer to get a deal done," stated Sen. Cantwell, highlighting the complexities involved in such a divestiture.
The bill's journey is far from over. It now heads to the U.S. Senate, where it is expected to pass, and then to President Joe Biden's desk for potential final approval.
The proposal to ban TikTok has not been without its detractors. Notably, former U.S. President Donald Trump, who previously attempted to ban the app, has opposed this new legislative effort, albeit maintaining his stance on the app as a national security threat.
Similarly, Elon Musk, the tech mogul behind Tesla and X, has criticized the proposed ban, citing concerns over free speech and TikTok's economic contributions to the U.S. economy.
This legislative move marks a critical moment in the ongoing debate over digital privacy, national security, and social media's role in the public sphere.
As the bill progresses through the legislative process, its implications for TikTok, its users, and the broader tech industry remain to be fully understood.
