Recent events have raised tensions around TikTok. ByteDance, a China-based company, owns the short-form video app. Unveiled on Tuesday, a bipartisan House bill puts ByteDance under intense pressure. Should the new legislation pass, ByteDance will face a severe choice - divest its ownership of TikTok or risk the popular platform's banishment from the U.S. marketplace.
National Security Concerns Drive Tough Legislation
Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisc.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) are the top legislators of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party behind this new bill. These efforts highlight serious concerns about national security threats tied to ByteDance's TikTok operation.
Given the official designation of "foreign adversary controlled application" in this proposed bill, both ByteDance and TikTok have been scrutinized. The Act, stylishly termed "Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications," outlines a robust legal structure granting the president the power to tag other apps similarly.
The bill doesn't stop at China; it spreads its net wide enough to potentially include powerful nations like Russia, North Korea, and Iran. They all fall within the "foreign adversaries" category in the bill's context.
What Does the Future Hold for TikTok in the U.S.?
If the law passes, ByteDance will get a five-month divorce period to separate itself from TikTok. Failure to do so would lead to intense consequences. It would then be illegal to circulate TikTok via any U.S. app store or web hosting platform-a move that could escalate to an outright ban for American users.
Several bipartisan sponsors back the bill. Regardless of their refusal to disclose particular sponsors, a committee aide confirmed an even distribution down party lines.
The bill has attracted criticism from TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek. "This is an outright ban of TikTok, no matter how much the authors try to disguise it. It infringes on the First Amendment rights of 170 million Americans and deprives 5 million small businesses of a much-needed platform to create jobs and grow," Haurek stated.
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Past Attempts and Future Outlook
Attempts have been made to ban TikTok outright. A Republican-powered bill introduced last year faced resistance from Democrats. The opponents argued that the move felt rushed and threatened free speech rights.
Senatorial bipartisan also introduced a bill last year. This bill did not name TikTok directly. However, it proposed a process that would empower the Commerce Department to spotlight potentially risky apps and ban them. Despite White House support, the bill lacked momentum.
Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi's bill appears more strategic, presenting a proposal that may overcome previous legal roadblocks. However, banning the app has practical issues. These issues consider potential loopholes. Users could exploit these loopholes, accessing TikTok even after a seeming ban.
On Tuesday, an announcement was made. The House Energy and Commerce Committee would consider the bill. This would happen at a Thursday markup session. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers commended the Select Committee. She is the Energy and Commerce panel chair. She expressed optimism about the bill's advancement in her Tuesday statement.
As we wait for the unfolding events, the future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain. How the China-based company ByteDance manages this high-stake demand for divestment will undoubtedly shape numerous related laws and digital regulations in the U.S.
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