The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday that could end the use of TikTok in the United States.
The measure passed with bipartisan support, 352 – 65, after lawmakers expressed concern the data being collected on TikTok will end up in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party, with 30 democrats and half as many Republicans voting to block the bill’s passage,
The bill would give Chinese owned ByteDance 165 days to divest their interest in the social media company or face removal from U.S. app stores. The short-form video hosting service is popular with young social media consumers and currently boasts more than 150 million U.S. users.
“We have given TikTok a clear choice,” U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers said. “Separate from your parent company ByteDance, which is beholden to the CCP (the Chinese Communist Party), and remain operational in the United States, or side with the CCP and face the consequences. The choice is TikTok’s.”
The bill’s fate in the U.S. Senate is uncertain, though President Joe Biden said recently that he would sign it into law if the bill makes it to his desk. That’s despite the fact that Biden’s campaign launched its own TikTok account last month in an effort to connect with young voters.
Former President Donald Trump attempted to ban TikTok during his administration, only to be blocked by the courts.
This is a developing story and it will be updated. Herald wire service contributed.
