A bill that could result in a ban of TikTok in the U.S. is expected to pass the House on Wednesday due to concerns about the company's ownership being a threat to national security.
The bill would make the Chinese company ByteDance sell off TikTok and its other apps within six months of the bill becoming law or those apps would be prohibited. Lawmakers argue that ByteDance is influenced by the Chinese government, which could demand access to TikTok user data in the U.S. at any time, based on Chinese national security laws.
The House passing the bill would just be the first step. The Senate would also need to pass the measure for it to become law, and lawmakers in that chamber indicated it would undergo a thorough review. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he'll need to consult with relevant committee chairs to determine the bill's path.
President Joe Biden has said that if Congress passes the measure, he will sign it.
The House vote is set to create a new conflict between lawmakers and the tech industry. By targeting TikTok, lawmakers are singling out a platform popular with millions of people, many of whom are younger, just months before an election.
Before the House vote, a senior national security official in the Biden administration held a closed-door briefing Tuesday with lawmakers to discuss TikTok and the national security implications. Lawmakers are balancing those security concerns against a desire not to limit free speech online.
Rep. Mike Gallagher, the bill's author, stated, “What we've tried to do here is be very thoughtful and deliberate about the need to force a divestiture of TikTok without granting any authority to the executive branch to regulate content or go after any American company,” as he emerged from the briefing.
TikTok has long denied that it could be used as a tool of the Chinese government. The company has said it has never shared U.S. user data with Chinese authorities and won't do so if it is asked. To date, the U.S. government also has not provided any evidence that shows TikTok shared such information with Chinese authorities. The platform has about 170 million users in the U.S.
The security briefing seemed to change few minds, instead solidifying the views of both sides.
Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., stated, “We have a national security obligation to prevent America's most strategic adversary from being so involved in our lives.”
But Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., said no information has been shared with him that convinces him TikTok is a national security threat. “My opinion, leaving that briefing, has not changed at all,” he said.
“This idea that we're going to ban, essentially, entrepreneurs, small business owners, the main way how young people actually communicate with each other is to me insane,” Garcia said.
Sara Jacobs, a Democrat from California, said that nothing they heard in today's secret briefing was specific to TikTok. It was things that happen on every social media platform.
The bill was quickly brought up by Republican leaders after being introduced last week. A House committee approved the legislation unanimously with 50 votes, even after their offices received many calls from TikTok users asking them to drop the effort. Some offices even shut off their phones because of the large number of calls.
Lawmakers from both parties want to address various issues related to China. The House created a special committee to focus on China-related issues. Schumer instructed committee chairs to start working with Republicans on a bipartisan China competition bill.
Senators are open to the bill but indicated they don't want to rush ahead.
Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, said that for him, moving quickly in technology is not a good thing because history shows that mistakes are often made.
House Republicans are moving forward with the legislation, creating a difference between themselves and former President Donald Trump as he seeks another term in the White House.
Trump has expressed opposition to the effort, stating that he still believes TikTok poses a national security risk but is against banning the very popular app because it would benefit its rival, Facebook, which he continues to criticize over his 2020 election loss.
As president, Trump tried to ban TikTok through an executive order, calling the spread of mobile applications developed and owned by Chinese companies a threat to national security, foreign policy, and the economy of the United States. However, the courts blocked the action after TikTok sued, arguing that such actions would violate free speech and due process rights.
