The House of Representatives just passed legislation that could potentially lead to a ban of one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, TikTok. This bill requires TikTok to sever its ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, due to concerns over national security. Lawmakers argue that the Chinese government could use its intelligence laws to access the data of TikTok’s American users. However, the fate of this measure is still uncertain as it now moves to the Senate for further consideration.
If this bill becomes law, TikTok would have approximately five months to separate itself from ByteDance. Failure to comply would result in app stores in the United States being prohibited from hosting the platform. TikTok has responded to this development by condemning the House vote and calling on the Senate to carefully consider the facts before making a decision. On the other hand, China’s foreign ministry has criticized the bill, calling it an “act of bullying.”
Moving on, House Speaker Mike Johnson has urged the Senate to pass this bill in a statement. He emphasized the potential dangers of TikTok, stating that it allows the Chinese Communist Party to push harmful content and gather sensitive data from American users. Speaker Johnson believes that the bipartisan vote in the House demonstrates Congress’ opposition to China’s attempts to spy on and manipulate Americans. He is hopeful that the Senate will follow suit and send the bill to the President for final approval. However, the future of the bill remains uncertain in the Senate, as there is currently no companion bill.
In a show of support, the top senators on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Virginia Democratic Senator Mark Warner and Florida Senator Marco Rubio, have praised the House vote. They have pledged to work together in a bipartisan manner to ensure the bill reaches President Joe Biden’s desk. Both senators are deeply concerned about the national security threat posed by TikTok and believe that it has the power to influence and divide Americans.
We will continue to monitor this developing story and provide you with any updates as they occur, on Fan Reviews News.
