- House of Representatives passed bill ordering TikTok owner to sell social media platform or face it being banned in the US
- Senate set to vote this week; President Joe Biden has already said he will sign the legislation
- TikTok has reacted angrily to the news of the Bill
TikTok could be banned in the US next year if the social media platform’s owner, Chinese company ByteDance, doesn’t sell it within the next 12 months.
The House of Representatives comprehensively backed an updated bill by 360 votes to 58 on Saturday. The Senate is expected to vote on it this week, and President Joe Biden has already confirmed that he will sign the legislation.
Originally, the Bill – as Pubity News reported last month demanded ByteDance sell Tiktok within six months of the bill becoming law, but this has been extended to a year. Senate commerce committee chair Maria Cantwell was behind the revision, saying it was needed to ensure there was enough time for a new buyer to get a deal done.
There have been long-standing worries among those in power in the US about the influence that the Chinese authorities have over the app. For instance, in China, which is ruled by the Communist Party, businesses are required by law to share data with the government if they are so requested.
TikTok has reacted angrily to the Bill. In a social media post, the platform expressed displeasure at the legislation, noting that it contributes $24 billion to the US economy every year.
“It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill that would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans,” TikTok said, according to NPR.
