The US Senate passed a bill on Tuesday (April 23) that would either ban TikTok or force parent company ByteDance to sell it.
The bill gives ByteDance one year to sell its stock or potentially be removed from U.S. app stores.
Seventy-nine senators voted for the bill and 18 voted against it.
The bill, part of a foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, passed the House of Representatives on Saturday by a 360-58 vote.
US President Joe Biden has said he intends to receive and sign the bill.
Michael Beckerman, TikTok's head of public policy for the Americas, said the company would challenge the bill in court.
If the new federal law goes into effect unchecked, Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store would either have to stop offering TikTok for download or face financial penalties.
But why is the US trying to ban this platform and why is there outrage about this?
Why is the US trying to ban TikTok?
Lawmakers in the United States are taking action based on concerns that TikTok's ownership structure poses a national security threat.
One major concern is that TikTok could be forced to share user data with the Chinese government under China's national security law. This has raised concerns among U.S. policymakers about the potential misuse of personal data and the risk of espionage and other malicious activities.
Additionally, there are concerns about TikTok's influence and reach, especially among young users, and its potential to spread misinformation and propaganda. Some critics argue that TikTok's algorithmic content recommendation system can be used to manipulate public opinion and amplify certain discourses.
US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passes bill to ban TikTok
Reuters
Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rogers said on April 23: “We have given TikTok a clear choice: Either it can separate from its CCP-benefited parent company ByteDance and continue to operate in the United States. , or will you side with the Chinese Communist Party?” Face the Chinese Communist Party and its consequences. The choice is TikTok. ”
For the bill to become law, the Senate must also pass it. Chamber members said a thorough review would be undertaken. The American Civil Liberties Union opposed the bill on free speech grounds.
Users of the platform quickly took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their thoughts.
“Is it 11:30 yet? I wish I had your willpower,” another user replied.
Another person suggested that “an actual privacy bill would be much more effective.”
Other users said they felt other U.S. issues were being ignored. They said a ban on TikTok would be a form of censorship against people who speak out against these issues.
And there was more anger.
