Washington: The US House of Representatives has endorsed a bill that compels TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company or face a ban in the United States.
The legislation received broad support with 352 votes in favor and 65 against, showcasing rare bipartisan unity in the divided political landscape of Washington.
The proposed law, officially named the "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act," poses a potential setback for TikTok, a widely popular video-sharing app.
The bill requires ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, to sell the app within 180 days or face removal from Apple and Google app stores in the US. Additionally, the president gains authority to designate other applications as national security threats if controlled by a nation deemed adversarial to the US.
While the bill's fate remains uncertain in the Senate, concerns persist among key figures about taking such drastic measures against an app boasting 170 million US users. The White House has indicated that President Joe Biden would sign the bill into law if it reaches his desk.
TikTok executives were reportedly surprised by the sudden resurgence of scrutiny, with CEO Shou Zi Chew currently in Washington seeking support to counter the bill. Michael Beckerman, TikTok's vice president for public policy, expressed constitutional concerns, asserting that the legislation was rushed through without public hearings.
The co-sponsors of the bill, House Republican Mike Gallagher and House Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi, along with the White House, argue that the legislation is not a ban on TikTok if the company divests from ByteDance, reported AFP.
China has issued a warning, stating that the move will inevitably have consequences for the United States.
The bill's approval by Republican lawmakers marks an unusual defiance against former President Donald Trump, who had previously sought to acquire control of TikTok during his tenure but faced opposition from US courts. Trump recently voiced his opposition to a ban, suggesting that it would benefit Meta, the owner of Instagram and Facebook.
Despite previous attempts to ban TikTok and concerns about national security, the app staunchly denies any ties to the Chinese government and has undertaken restructuring efforts to ensure the data of US users remains within the country.