Legislation that could lead to the unavailability of TikTok in the US progresses swiftly in the House.
Legislators are raising concerns about the app’s capacity to spy on and manipulate Americans, which is driving a bill in the House that could make the popular video-sharing app TikTok unavailable in the country.
Although White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that the TikTok legislation “still needs some work” before President Joe Biden would support it, the White House has offered technical support for the bill’s drafting.
The bill approaches things in two ways. First, after the bill is passed, Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd. must divest TikTok and other apps it owns within 180 days of it becoming law, or else the US will forbid using them. Second, if an app owned by a foreign adversary poses a threat to national security, it establishes a limited procedure that the executive branch can use to block access to it.
Legislators and TikTok detractors have suggested that the Chinese government might compel the company to share user data pertaining to Americans. According to TikTok, it has never done that and wouldn’t if requested. Furthermore, the US government has not offered any proof that it took place.
The app, according to critics, might be used to disseminate false information that Beijing would find advantageous.
After TikTok filed a lawsuit, claiming that such actions would violate the rights to free speech and due process, former President Donald Trump attempted to ban the platform through an executive order. However, the action was stopped by the courts.
Concerns regarding the legislation gaining traction in the House were also voiced by TikTok.
