Avoiding the risk of TikTok manipulating the mindsets of American teenagers and other users, lawmakers in the House of Representatives are considering a bill that could potentially ban TikTok in the United States.
The bill would require ByteDance (the parent company of TikTok) to sell TikTok and other apps within 180 days, or the apps would be banned in the United States.
The House is focusing on “National Security Concerns” as the bill is driven by concerns that the Chinese government could pressure TikTok, which is owned by the Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd., to share data on American users or spread misinformation and manipulate or idealize the users.
However, the US government hasn’t provided evidence of this happening yet, but some lawmakers believe it’s a risk that should be addressed before something happens.
Even if TikTok stands still, there will be a two-pronged approach to this bill:
The bill proposes a two-step solution.
- First, it would force ByteDance to sell TikTok and other apps within 180 days, effectively removing them from Chinese ownership.
- Second, it creates a process for the government to ban any app deemed a national security threat at any given time for any given time.
As Americans are more concerned about “Debate Over Free Speech” the supporters of the bill argue it’s necessary to protect national security.
Opponents, including TikTok and the ACLU, say it’s an unconstitutional ban on free speech that hurts millions of users and businesses in the United States and as well as rest of the world as TikTok is already a way for millions of people to earn a living while doing what they enjoy every day.
The White House is also concerned about the bill’s legal standing but welcomes efforts to address security concerns.
Let’s see what unfolds in the next days.