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On Wednesday, the House of Representatives approved. is not yet passed

The passing of legislation that could prohibit TikTok has not yet occurred.

If ByteDance, the parent company based in Beijing, does not sell its share, it could face repercussions in the United States where the social media platform is widely used.

The vote was 352 in favor and 65 opposed, underscoring its broad bipartisan support, with 197 Republicans and 155 Democrats voting to approve it. Fifteen Republicans and 50 Democrats voted against the bill. One Democrat voted “present.”

The House expedited the approval of the bill, referred to as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, by utilizing a procedure that mandated the backing of two-thirds of members for it to pass.

The upcoming future is uncertain. New York’s Majority Leader Chuck Schumer did not make any commitments to vote on it, stating that the Senate will review the bill once it is received from the House.

a new stimulus package worth $1.9 trillion to provide relief to Americans struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Biden has committed to enacting a $1.9 trillion stimulus program aimed at helping Americans facing challenges amidst the COVID-19 crisis. the bill, which would require ByteDance to sell TikTok within six months

or risk being banned from app stores and web-hosting services in the United States.

“In recent years, we have made investments to ensure the protection of your data and prevent external manipulation on our platform.”TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew

“We have stated in a video shared on social media on Wednesday evening that we will persist in our efforts,” stated in response to the bill’s approval. “If this bill is enacted, it will result in TikTok being prohibited in the US. The bill’s supporters themselves acknowledge that this is their objective.”

Lawmakers have continuously aimed to limit the use of TikTok, citing fears that the Chinese government may coerce ByteDance into sharing the information of its 170 million American users. They argue that these concerns are valid as Chinese national security laws mandate cooperation with intelligence collection.

In a statement to members of the House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray raised concerns about Americans potentially giving the Chinese government the power to regulate their data and information through recommendation algorithms, which could also lead to their devices being compromised by Chinese software.

TikTok has consistently denied allegations that it could be utilized by the Chinese government to gather intelligence on American citizens. Following the vote in the House, a representative for the company declared that the procedures were kept confidential and the decision was rushed due to a single motive: to prohibit the app. The representative expressed optimism that the Senate will thoroughly examine the evidence, take into account the views of their constituents, and recognize the profound consequences on the economy, 7 million small businesses, and the 170 million individuals who rely on our platform.

China’s Ministry of Commerce said last year it would “firmly oppose” the forced sale of TikTok. Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, accused the U.S. of running a disinformation campaign “for the purpose of bringing down the company.” 

Liu stated that the U.S. has not presented sufficient proof of potential risks posed by TikTok to their national security. She urged for a fair and unbiased business climate in the U.S. for companies from all nations.

It is uncertain if the approval of the bill by the House signals the start of the end for TikTok in the United States. Previous attempts to prohibit it across the country have been delayed due to disagreements over the best way to regulate the platform, concerns about freedom of speech, and legal obstacles.

In the past few days, the app TikTok has been receiving a significant amount of attention.

Utilized its extensive number of users to influence politicians.

This has caused concerned citizens to contact lawmakers to express their disagreement with the proposed legislation. According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, fewer American adults are in favor of banning TikTok, even after learning about ByteDance’s ties to China.

There was uncertainty surrounding whether the Republican Party would still back the bill due to former President Donald Trump’s disapproval of it. This was a cause for concern.

assisted in the downfall of a mutually agreed upon agreement on immigration

At the beginning of the year, Trump changed his stance on banning TikTok by stating that it would be advantageous for Facebook. However, he also acknowledged TikTok as a possible threat to national security. In 2020, Trump issued an executive order that aimed to restrict TikTok’s presence in the U.S., but it was met with a legal dispute from the company and subsequently overturned by the Biden administration.

The legislation passed by the House may encounter challenges in the Senate. A previous bipartisan attempt to limit TikTok did not have successful results. Some senators are reluctant to solely target a single social media platform, citing concerns about infringing upon the First Amendment.

At the start of the week, Senator Mark Warner from Virginia, who is the Democratic leader of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said to journalists that he was worried about mentioning a particular corporation in a law. Yet, in a statement after the House voted, Warner and Republican Senator Marco Rubio, the vice leader of the Intelligence Committee, expressed their optimistic view towards the House’s bipartisan vote and the prospects of getting this bill passed in the Senate and approved by the President.

Maria Cantwell, the Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, stated that a potential restriction on TikTok may face obstacles in her panel’s approval process.

“After the vote, I plan to have discussions with my colleagues in the Senate and House to seek a constitutional solution that upholds civil liberties,” the Democrat from Washington stated.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously approved it last week, following a classified briefing given by officials from the Justice Department and FBI regarding TikTok. On Tuesday, House members were given another briefing by national security officials.

The DOJ informed legislators that the bill would be legally stronger if it granted the government the power to require ByteDance to sell off TikTok, instead of enacting a complete ban if ByteDance refuses to sell. This information was detailed in a memo obtained by CBS News. The White House has also hinted that it may not hold up in court at this time.

Representative Mike Gallagher, a Republican from Wisconsin who led the effort to pass the bill, stated on Tuesday that he believes the legislation could withstand a potential legal dispute because it does not give any power to target American companies or content.

“This is regulating conduct, not content,” Rep. Chip Roy, a Texas Republican, said after Tuesday’s classified briefing in defense of the bill. 

Congressman Robert Garcia, a Democratic representative from California, stated that he and fellow Democrats who did not support the legislation would strive to pressure their Senate counterparts to proceed cautiously.

During a press conference with TikTok creators outside the Capitol on Tuesday, he expressed more faith in the Senate’s ability to do what is right compared to our own efforts in the House.

The Chairperson of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, Gallagher, stated that a strong majority vote in support would convey a message to the Senate.

“I am requesting a significant vote on Wednesday to compel the Senate to consider it,” the individual stated.

Reporting was provided by Jaala Brown, Cristina Corujo, Alan He, and Robert Legare.

Caitlin Yilek

Source: cbsnews.com