This afternoon, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill mandating that ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, sell the popular social media platform or face its prohibition in the United States.
Efforts to ban TikTok date back to the Trump administration, but the issue has regained traction in recent months. In March, the House passed a similar bill, which the Senate showed little interest in pursuing. The updated version extends the timeframe for ByteDance to divest TikTok to nine months, compared to the previous six months, and grants the president the authority to allow a single additional 90-day extension.
This adjustment appears to have assuaged some Senate skeptics. Senate Commerce chair Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) stated on Thursday that she had proposed the extension, believing it increases the likelihood of divestiture.
The bill passed with overwhelming support, securing a 360-58 vote from a majority of both Republicans and Democrats. It forms part of a broader package encompassing foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, likely included to garner more conservative backing under House Speaker Mike Johnson.
The Senate is expected to address the package in the coming week, with President Joe Biden affirming his support and intention to sign the bill. In response, TikTok is anticipated to challenge the legislation in court.
The Biden administration has briefed lawmakers on the national security risks associated with the app, highlighting concerns about Chinese government access to American user data and the dissemination of propaganda. House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas) characterized the app as “a spy balloon in Americans’ phones” utilized for “surveillance and exploitation of America’s personal information.”
Following the resurgence of TikTok legislation earlier this week, the company issued a statement asserting that the House is leveraging “important foreign and humanitarian assistance” to push through a ban that would infringe upon the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate 7 million businesses, and shutter the platform.
Civil liberties organizations, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the American Civil Liberties Union, have also opposed previous attempts to ban TikTok.