1 year ago
52
WASHINGTON -- The House voted connected Wednesday to walk a measure that could pb to a nationwide prohibition against TikTok, a large situation to 1 of the world's astir fashionable societal media apps.
The measure would prohibit TikTok from US app stores unless the societal media level - utilized by astir 170 cardinal Americans - is spun disconnected from its Chinese genitor company, ByteDance. It's not yet wide what the aboriginal of the measure volition beryllium successful the Senate.
Lawmakers supportive of the measure person argued TikTok poses a nationalist information menace due to the fact that the Chinese authorities could usage its quality laws against ByteDance, forcing it to manus implicit the information of US app users.
RELATED: Here's what TikTok prohibition could mean for users, businesses up of Congress vote
The propulsion to walk the measure came up against headwinds from respective antithetic governmental directions: erstwhile President Donald Trump, who was erstwhile a proponent of banning the platform, has since equivocated connected his position, portion Democrats are facing unit from young progressives among whom TikTok remains a preferred societal media platform. TikTok creators and Beijing person responded angrily to the upcoming vote, with China's overseas ministry calling it an "act of bullying."
TikTok has called the authorities an onslaught connected the law close to state of look for its users. It launched a call-to-action run wrong the app, urging users to telephone representatives successful Washington to reason the bill. Multiple legislature offices person said they've been flooded with calls.
The measure would springiness ByteDance astir 5 months to merchantability TikTok. If not divested by that time, it would beryllium amerciable for app store operators specified arsenic Apple and Google to marque it disposable for download.
In a uncommon amusement of bipartisanship, the measurement precocious unanimously retired of the almighty House Energy and Commerce Committee, and President Joe Biden has said helium would motion the measure if it makes it to his desk.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer connected Tuesday would not perpetrate to holding a ballot connected the House's TikTok bill, underscoring the uncertainty implicit what volition hap next.
"I'll person to consult and mean to consult with my applicable committee chairmen to spot what their views would be," helium said.
Trump pushes backmost connected imaginable TikTok ban
When Trump was president, helium supported calls to prohibition the app, but helium appears to person present backed distant from that stance, though his rhetoric has astatine times sent seemingly mixed messages.
In a station connected Truth Social past week, Trump expressed absorption to a ban, arguing that if TikTok were retired of the picture, Facebook would payment arsenic helium attacked Facebook and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg arsenic an "Enemy of the People."
In a Monday interrogation with CNBC, Trump said it was a "tough decision" whether the US should prohibition TikTok and continued to reason that getting escaped of it would payment Facebook, adding that helium thought, "Facebook has been precise atrocious for our country."
Trump said helium thought TikTok posed a nationalist information menace to the US but said, "You person that occupation with Facebook and tons of different companies too," and "There are a batch of radical connected TikTok that emotion it."
"There's, you know, a batch of good, and there's a batch of atrocious with TikTok," Trump said.
Lawmakers connected some sides of the aisle who enactment the measure person argued that it is not a ban.
RELATED: Is TikTok getting banned? House sheet unanimously approves measure for nationwide ban
In caller comments to reporters, Wisconsin Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher, who chairs a House prime committee connected China, rejected characterizations of the measure arsenic a TikTok ban.
"It's not a ban," helium said. "It puts the prime squarely successful the hands of TikTok to sever their narration with the Chinese Communist Party. As agelong arsenic ByteDance nary longer owns the company, TikTok tin proceed to survive. ... the basal ownership operation has to change."
TikTok has pushed backmost connected claims from lawmakers that the authorities would supply options for the app.
"This authorities has a predetermined outcome: a full prohibition of TikTok successful the United States," the institution wrote successful a station connected X. "The authorities is attempting to portion 170 cardinal Americans of their Constitutional close to escaped expression. This volition harm millions of businesses, contradict artists an audience, and destruct the livelihoods of countless creators crossed the country."
TikTok's CEO, Shou Chew, has attempted to docket 11th-hour meetings with members of Congress. The institution besides sent letters to aggregate House lawmakers connected Monday accusing them of mischaracterizing TikTok's call-to-action campaign, saying it is "offensive" for lawmakers to disregard the views of constituents who person overwhelmed legislature offices with telephone calls.
This communicative and header person been updated with further information.
CNN's Kate Sullivan, Morgan Rimmer and Lauren Fox contributed.
The-CNN-Wire & 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
