US House of Representatives passes bill to ban TikTok in America

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testifies during the House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing in Rayburn Building on Thursday, March 23, 2023.

The US House of Representatives has made a significant move by passing a bill that could potentially ban TikTok in America. While the legislation has garnered support from both sides of the aisle, it still awaits clearance from the Senate and the President before it can be enacted into law. President Biden has indicated his intention to sign the bill should it successfully navigate through the remaining legislative hurdles.

The decision to push for the ban comes amidst longstanding apprehensions regarding China's influence over TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese tech giant ByteDance. Founded in 2012, ByteDance is renowned for developing popular video-sharing platforms such as TikTok and Douyin. However, concerns over security and censorship have drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and media outlets worldwide.

The bill pushes ByteDance to sell the social media platform in order to avoid a total ban in the United States. 

Concerns have arisen from laws such as China’s National Intelligence Law of 2017, which mandates Chinese companies to share data with the government upon request. Despite this, Shou Zi Chew, TikTok's chief executive, has stated the company's commitment to keeping data secure and the platform “free from outside manipulation”. Furthermore, the bill could risk escalating tensions with China, as indicated by Wang Wenbin, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson, who cautioned that the ban could “come back to bite the US”.

Notably, former President Donald Trump, who previously attempted to ban TikTok during his tenure, has now shifted his stance. Reports suggest that a meeting with Republican donor Jeff Yass, purportedly a minor stakeholder in ByteDance, influenced Trump's change of position. Some Democrats have also expressed reservations about the ban, fearing it could alienate TikTok's youthful user base and, consequently, younger voters.

Last Wednesday, people gathered outside the White House in protest against the bill. As the bill awaits further deliberation in the Senate, the fate of TikTok in America hangs in the balance.