March 13, (THEWILL) – The US House of Representatives has passed a bill that may ban TikTok unless it separates from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, in six months. However, they will need the approval of the US Senate.
The TikTok ban bill was passed ‘overwhelmingly’ on Wednesday, with 352 votes in favour and 65 against.
Despite wide acceptance of TikTok by about 170 million US citizens, President Joe Biden has said if the bill gets the Senate’s approval, he will sign it into law.
The US has been moving to ban TikTok in the country, saying that the app poses national security concerns.
White House National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, said this week that the goal of the Bill is to end Chinese ownership, not ban TikTok.
One of the problems that need further deliberation on the Bill is that a forced divestment of TikTok may compel its parent company to hand over information on US users under Chinese law, essentially presenting a national security risk.
In the past, TikTok has said that it doesn’t store US user information in China.
“This legislation has a predetermined outcome: a total ban of TikTok in the United States. The government is attempting to strip 170 million Americans of their Constitutional right to free expression,” the company said before the vote.
Meanwhile, TikTok CEO, Shou Zi Chew, is set to visit Capitol Hill on a previously scheduled trip to talk to senators.
