China-owned social media giant TikTok could soon be forced to cease operations in the United States if a recently passed bill in the House of Representatives becomes law. The bill is expected to face quite a fight to get through the Senate.
CBS News reports that Americans’ access to China’s TikTok hangs in the balance as a bill aiming to ban the platform if it isn’t sold by the hostile foreign country now heads to the Senate for consideration. The House overwhelmingly voted 397-16 on March 8 to pass the bipartisan “TikTok Ban” bill, giving TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance six months to sell its stakes in the app or face a nationwide ban.
The impetus behind the proposed ban stems from longstanding national security concerns over TikTok’s ties to China. Lawmakers argue that the app’s Beijing-based ownership poses a risk, as the Chinese government could potentially leverage TikTok to spy on American users or manipulate the content they see for covert influence operations.
Shou Zi Chew, chief executive officer of TikTok Inc., during an interview at the TikTok office in New York, U.S., on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. (Christopher Goodney/Bloomberg/Getty)
TikTok has repeatedly denied such allegations, stating it would refuse requests from Beijing for U.S. user data. The company also points to its “Project Texas” initiative launched in 2022 to safeguard American data on domestic servers as evidence of its commitment to assuaging security fears. Despite its claims, TikTok insiders have stated that Beijing maintains “supreme access” to U.S. user data.
Despite these assurances, the bill advanced swiftly through the House on a remarkably bipartisan vote. However, its future is far murkier in the more deliberative Senate. Several senators, including Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), have voiced reservations about rushing passage, citing concerns over constitutionality and risks to civil liberties.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has been noncommittal on bringing the bill up for a vote, though the White House has urged Congress to act “quickly.” Senators like Mark Warner (D-VA) are engaging in preliminary discussions to find a viable path forward that could involve amending the House bill.
The bill’s ultimate passage seems tenuous, as any amended version would need to be approved again by the House. Even if it clears Congress, the forced sale and divestment TikTok faces are fraught with complications – from the app’s presumably massive price tag to the need for Beijing’s approval of any deal.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has vowed to legally challenge the bill, stating, “It is not feasible to do whatever the bill thinks it does within the parameters set out.” The company would likely argue the legislation violates its First Amendment rights and those of the app’s 170 million American users.
Read more at CBS News here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
