The U.S. House of Representatives has cast a resounding vote in favor of a bill that could potentially oust the popular platform, TikTok, from the American digital sphere unless ByteDance, its parent company based in China, relinquishes control. This latter action appears imminent, according to insider sources.
The lawmakers’ decision was subtly tied to a $95 billion foreign aid package meant for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, which, for its part, hasn’t garnered a significant amount of focus. The bill targeting TikTok received a sweeping approval with a 360 to 58 vote. The comprehensive aid bill, however, is still awaiting its turn on the voting floor.
TikTok’s popularity in the U.S. is undeniable, with an estimated 150 million Americans actively using the platform. Lawmakers have raised concerns about the potential influence of ByteDance, and by extension, the Chinese Communist Party, on the platform’s operation and content distribution.
The platform has recently been embroiled in controversy for promoting inappropriate content, raising concerns among regulators and politicians.
“The forced sale of TikTok represents a bipartisan breakthrough against the CCP’s most powerful tool of information warfare against the United States,” Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx) told The Post.
A wave of apprehension swept across the nation following the bill’s passage. Amber Thomas, a teacher from Tennessee, shared her worries about the potential impact on her students. She highlighted TikTok’s unique capacity to gather funds for food and supplies for her students, an attribute she claims no other social media platform possesses.
Speculation is rampant as to who might step up to acquire TikTok if a forced divestment from ByteDance comes to pass. Tech giants like Microsoft, Meta, Apple, and Oracle are among the potential contenders. Rumble, a free speech-oriented competitor to YouTube, is also in the conversation.
However, the acquisition’s sheer scale presents a significant obstacle. Past estimates have valued the social media company at up to $50 billion.
In the past, an attempt to ban TikTok was stalled in the Democratic Senate, as Majority Leader Chuck Schumer refused to bring the measure up for a vote. However, he did express support for curbing TikTok’s influence, emphasizing the importance of privacy and data security.
With the recent TikTok ban embedded in the urgent foreign aid package, the Senate will likely be forced to consider the measure. Senate leaders have assured to expedite the process and present it to President Biden for his approval.
The new legislation allows TikTok a grace period of nine months, extendable to a year by the president, to either divest or face a nationwide ban. This timeline implies that the full impact of the ban won’t be felt until after the 2024 presidential elections.
Meanwhile, TikTokers across the nation expressed their dismay at the news. One user, Hundo Grand, criticized lawmakers for targeting TikTok alone while ignoring other social media platforms that, in his opinion, have caused more harm.
