Urgent vote ahead: US House targets ByteDance to divest TikTok or face ban

Next week, the US House of Representatives will try to force TikTok to cut ties with parent company ByteDance. The goal is ByteDance to sell its interests in the pest-like short video app within six months to avoid a ban in the US.

This move comes after the Energy and Commerce Committee cast a unanimous 50-0 vote in favor of the measure, marking a significant step toward the most stringent US action against TikTok. TikTok has around 170 million users in the country, since President Donald Trump's failed attempt to prohibit the app in 2020 (via Reuters).

Efforts to regulate TikTok had previously been hindered due to intense lobbying by the company. However, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise announced that lawmakers will vote to “force TikTok to sever their ties with the Chinese Communist Party.” TikTok contends that it has never shared, nor will it share, U.S. user data with the Chinese government, arguing that this bill essentially acts as a ban. The company criticized the legislation, claiming it infringes on the Constitutional right to free expression for 170 million Americans, negatively impacting millions of businesses and creators.

Before casting their votes, legislators received a classified briefing on the national security risks posed by TikTok's ownership. Representative Frank Pallone voiced his hope that the legislation would lead to TikTok's divestment, allowing Americans to use this and similar platforms without fear of foreign control. Representatives Mike Gallagher and Raja Krishnamoorthi introduced the bill to mitigate these security concerns, suggesting a restructure rather than a ban to eliminate the risks.

The proposed bill has sparked a significant response from TikTok users, who have been contacting their representatives en masse, prompted by the app's warnings of a potential ban. The legislation gives ByteDance a 165-day deadline to divest from TikTok, after which app stores like Apple and Google would be prohibited from offering TikTok or hosting services for ByteDance-controlled apps.