The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a bill that paves the way for TikTok to be banned in the country over alleged “national security concerns,” sending it to the Senate.
In the vote held in the House of Representatives, the bill titled “Protecting Americans from Enemy-Controlled Apps Act” received 352 “yes” votes against 65 “no” votes.
The bill proposes that TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance sell the company within 6 months, otherwise TikTok would be completely banned from relevant app stores.
Supporters of the bill, including both Republicans and Democrats, argue that Beijing-based ByteDance is transferring information obtained from American citizens through TikTok to the Chinese government.
However, opponents of the bill argue that the allegations of TikTok collecting and transmitting data to China need to be proven and that banning the app could restrict “freedom of expression.”
TikTok’s management denies these allegations, claiming that they operate entirely according to American laws like other social media platforms in the U.S.
Following the bill’s passage with a large majority in the House of Representatives, attention is now turned to the Senate where the bill has been sent.
U.S. President Joe Biden has stated that he would sign the bill into law if it reaches his desk, citing national security concerns.
