Tiktok Ban

The U.S. is inching closer toward a nationwide ban on TikTok. Last Saturday (April 20), the House voted 360-58 in support of a pivotal Republican-backed bill regarding aid for Ukraine and Israel.

A measure addressing the forced sale of the video app from its China-based owner, ByteDance Ltd., was included in the modified proposal. The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act mirrors similar concerns about the platform’s ownership that were presented to lawmakers in March.

If approved by the Senate, TikTok would have to acquire a new owner within a year, reported NPR. In the event that progress toward new ownership is observed as the deadline passes, the White House can extend it by 90 days, allowing for the deal to be finalized.

Prior to the vote, the media platform issued a statement about the ban being lumped into legislation regarding a foreign aid package. In an April 17 tweet, it said, “It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill that would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate 7 million businesses, and shutter a platform that contributes $24 billion to the U.S. economy, annually.”

The widely popular app has been criticized as “China’s backdoor into Americans’ lives” by Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, whose bill to ban TikTok was blocked by the Senate last November. President Joe Biden has been a staunch supporter of proposed legislation that would require ByteDance Ltd. to divest from the social juggernaut. Last month, when asked about the recent bill, Biden told reporters, “If they pass it, I’ll sign it.”