Will TikTok be banned in America? House passes bill to regulate video apps, but with this caveat

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New Delhi: The United States House of Representatives has passed a bill that would require TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance to sell its US assets within six months or face sanctions, news agency AP reported.

According to reports, the bill received bipartisan support and passed by a vote of 352-65. However, its future in the Senate is uncertain, as some senators prefer a different approach to regulating foreign-owned apps.

The fate of TikTok has caused significant concern among lawmakers, with both Democrats and Republicans receiving numerous calls from teenage TikTok users protesting the legislation.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairwoman Maria Cantwell is considering alternative legislation, but has not yet determined her next step, according to the report.

Lawmakers argue that TikTok’s Chinese owner could be forced by Chinese national security laws to provide access to user data, raising concerns about privacy and security.

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“We have given a clear alternative to TikTok. Break away from its parent company ByteDance, which is beholden to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party), and will remain active in the United States, or stay with the CCP and suffer the consequences. “The election is about TikTok,” House of Representatives Cathy McMorris Rodgers was quoted as saying by the AP.

President Joe Biden said he would approve the measure if Congress passes it, the AP reported.

The recent House vote underscores growing tensions between China and US lawmakers with concerns targeting TikTok as a significant threat to US national security. Yet, in doing so, they are also focusing on a platform that is widely adopted by millions of users, especially younger demographics, just months before a crucial election.

However, critics argue that the proposed ban could have far-reaching effects on free speech and expression, global data transfers and, most importantly, US-China relations.