Today, the US House of Representatives passed a measure by an overwhelming majority that would allow ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, around six months to sell over the US assets of the app, which is used by 170 million Americans, or risk having it banned, reports RTE.
With bipartisan backing, the law passed by a vote of 352-65, but it now faces an unclear future in the Senate, where some senators want to regulate foreign-owned applications differently, raising security risks.
What will happen to TikTok is becoming a big concern in Washington. Legislators, both Democratic and Republican, said that their offices had been inundated with calls opposing the legislation from young TikTok users, often surpassing the amount of calls requesting a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, reports RTE.
The action is also the most recent in a string of steps taken by Washington in response to US national security worries over China, including the use of powerful artificial intelligence chips, linked cars, and cranes at US ports.
The plan was submitted just over a week ago, after Congress had been at a standstill for over a year and after only one public hearing with minimal discussion.
When the re-election campaign of President Joe Biden joined TikTok last month, TikTok staff began to believe that this year’s legislation was doubtful.
Last week, the bill was approved 50-0 by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, paving the way for a vote by the whole House, reports RTE.
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