President Joe Biden has thrown his support behind legislation that could result in the ban of the popular video-sharing app TikTok within the United States due to the mounting concerns about the potential compromise of Americans’ data to foreign entities, particularly China.
The legislation, which unanimously passed through the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, requires ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, to divest its ownership of the app or face a U.S. ban. President Biden, speaking to reporters, affirmed his willingness to sign the bill if it passes through Congress.
Former President Donald Trump, however, expressed opposition to the proposed ban, suggesting that it could benefit rival social media platform Facebook. Despite Trump’s stance, prominent Republicans like House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise have voiced support for the legislation, labeling it a “critical national security bill.”
The debate over TikTok’s future revolves around concerns raised by both the FBI and the Federal Communications Commission regarding potential data sharing between ByteDance and the Chinese government. While TikTok has denied any such activity and the U.S. government has not provided evidence to the contrary, the issue remains a point of contention.
In a separate move, President Biden recently signed an executive order aimed at preventing the large-scale transfer of Americans’ personal data to countries deemed as “countries of concern,” including China.
If enacted, the legislation would effectively prohibit TikTok and other ByteDance apps from being available in U.S. app stores or on web hosting services.
The bill outlines a two-pronged approach, mandating ByteDance to divest TikTok within 180 days of enactment and creating a process for the executive branch to block access to apps owned by foreign adversaries deemed as threats to national security.
