TikTok crackdown bill: US House panel approves bill that could ban or force sale of app

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US House panel approves bill that could ban or force sale of app.Photo byauthor (licensed under CC BY 2.0)

On Thursday, a bipartisan panel of lawmakers unanimously approved a controversial bill that may result in TikTok being blocked in the U.S. unless it severs ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.

Should the bill be enacted into law, TikTok must separate from ByteDance within approximately six months to avoid being barred from U.S. apps and web hosting sites.

After extensive deliberations, the Energy and Commerce Committee, responsible for endorsing the bill, clarified that the aim was not to eliminate TikTok but to safeguard American data from a Chinese entity.

The bill was advanced to the full House of Representatives with a 50-0 vote in favor.

“It is very important that it is targeted and specific to the national security threat,” Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., said ahead of the vote. “This is not related to content. This is about the threat because of the data that has been collected.”

The bill received swift approval and crucial backing, with House Speaker Mike Johnson voicing his support on Thursday.

He described it as a significant bipartisan effort aimed at countering China, our primary geopolitical adversary, which poses a threat to our economy and national security.

President Joe Biden is also advocating for the bill's approval. The White House collaborated with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, and a spokesperson from the National Security Council praised the bill as a noteworthy and positive development.

The bill has faced criticism from advocates of free speech in the past, particularly concerning restrictions on TikTok.

A spokesperson for TikTok expressed concerns in a statement, warning that the current bill could infringe on the First Amendment rights of millions of Americans and harm small businesses that rely on the platform for growth and job creation.

Several organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union, Computer & Communications Industry Association, and the Center for Democracy & Technology have united in opposition to the bill over worries about free speech.

TikTok, in response, is mobilizing its users by displaying a message on the app alerting them to Congress's purported intentions to ban TikTok entirely.

Users were prompted to enter their zip codes, which would generate their Congress member's name and advise them to make contact.

This tactic has led to a surge of calls flooding the offices of numerous staffers and lawmakers, primarily originating from young individuals.

Lawmakers pointed out that TikTok's decision is yet another illustration of the app's capability to easily identify Americans and distribute false information.

“Today, it’s about our bill and it’s about intimidating members considering that bill,” said Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wi., chair of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. “But tomorrow, it could be misinformation or lies about an election, about a war, about any number of things.”