House to vote Tuesday on bill that could ban TikTok in US
- A bill that could ban TikTok in the US garnered bipartisan support
- Bill would force ByteDance to divest ownership in the app or face a ban
- Biden said he is prepared to sign the bill if it reaches his desk
FILE – The TikTok app logo is displayed on a screen, Sept. 28, 2020, in Tokyo. A spokesperson for TikTok confirmed Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, that the social media platform is laying off dozens of workers in its advertising and sales unit, becoming the latest tech company to trim roles in the new year. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)
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WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — TikTok continues to urge millions of users to call U.S. lawmakers, urging them to oppose a measure that may result in the Chinese ownership group potentially risking a ban in the U.S.
The bill up for a vote this week has garnered bipartisan support and would force ByteDance, the China-based company that owns TikTok, to either divest ownership to the U.S. or face a ban.
The full House is set to vote on the bill Tuesday.
Despite TikTok’s more than 150 million American users, ongoing concerns persist regarding China’s potential access to user data.
The platform has urged its users to contact Congress to oppose the measure, resulting in lawmakers’ staff fielding numerous phone calls.
“This legislation will trample the First Amendment rights of 170 million Americans and deprive 5 million small businesses of a platform they rely on to grow and create jobs,” TikTok wrote in a statement.
During an appearance on NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday,” Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., emphasized the necessity of the legislation.
“We don’t want the Chinese Communist Party to control the algorithm that dominates so much of our political discourse. But actually, it’s more about families, and parents and children versus the greed of Big Tech,” he said.
Auchincloss added, “They have been platforming disinformation, and Congress needs to step up and regulate them. They need to behave like responsible elements of the American body politic. But we can’t do that if these companies don’t answer to US law.”
Former President Donald Trump, despite previously supporting a ban of TikTok years ago, has voiced opposition to the legislation. He pointed to Facebook’s banning of him in the aftermath of the U.S. Capitol riots on Jan. 6, 2021, as part of his stance against the legislation.
“If you get rid of TikTok, Facebook and Zuckerschmuck will double their business. I don’t want Facebook, who cheated in the last Election, doing better. They are a true Enemy of the People!” he wrote on Truth Social.
The bill first passed unanimously in the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday.
President Joe Biden has said he will sign the bill if it reaches his desk.