A bill has been passed by the US House of Representatives that could lead to the popular Chinese app TikTok being banned from American app stores. The law requires ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, to come under American control within nine months or face a potential ban. The House approved the draft with a large bipartisan majority, and US President Joe Biden has the option to extend the deadline by three months.
The legislation sets forth concerns about ByteDance’s compliance with the directives of the Chinese Communist Party. This is not the first time that TikTok has been targeted by US lawmakers; a similar draft was introduced in March and is currently pending in the Senate. TikTok’s CEO, Shou Chew, has stated that the company will use all legal means available to defend against this law and maintain its presence in the US.
There are questions about who would be able to acquire TikTok if it were sold, as major tech companies may be ruled out for competitive reasons. Former US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has expressed interest in organizing a group of investors to purchase TikTok and reprogram it in the US using American technology. However, there is uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s future ownership, and it remains unclear who would ultimately control the platform if it were sold. Despite this uncertainty, TikTok is prepared to fight against any attempts to ban it from US app stores.
