The United States House of Representatives has passed the TikTok “Ban” bill with an overwhelmingly bipartisan 365-62 vote. The bill required a 2/3 majority to pass. The next step is for the Senate to pass it, which is expected. President Joe Biden has already vocalized support for a TikTok ban bill, so he is expected to sign off on it and make it law. The bill does not automatically ban TikTok.
If the bill passes, TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, would be forced to sell to a non-Chinese entity. If ByteDance refuses to sell, the app will be banned in the United States. Such a decision could have a devastating impact on small businesses and content creators around the country and around the world.
On the eve of the bill’s approval, TikTok alerted users with popup ads to contact their local representatives in protest. Such pop-ups could be considered TikTok’s way of encouraging its US user base to become ByteDance lobbyists. The US Government seeks to strip this sort of power from the Chinese Communist Party-controlled ByteDance.
SOURCES:
House passes bill that could ban TikTok despite resistance from Trump | CNN Politics
House passes bill that could ban TikTok in the U.S., sending it to the Senate
House Passes Bill to Force TikTok Sale From Chinese Owner or Ban the App – The New York Times
Why the House voted to ban TikTok and what could come next : NPR
House approves TikTok bill that could lead to a ban of the app – The Washington Post
House passes TikTok ban bill, but its Senate path unclear | AP News
Can Congress actually ban TikTok? – Vox
U.S. House passes TikTok ban – YouTube
Congress set to vote on bill that could ban TikTok – YouTube
