Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Guardian Nigeria
Published on 2024-03-13 15:47:26
The US House of Representatives made a significant move on Wednesday by overwhelmingly approving a bill that would require TikTok to divest from its Chinese owner or face a ban in the United States. This legislation marks a major setback for the popular video-sharing app, which has gained immense popularity worldwide but has also raised concerns about its Chinese ownership and its potential ties to the Communist Party in Beijing.
The lawmakers voted 352 in favor of the proposed law and 65 against it, demonstrating a rare moment of unity in the politically divided Washington. House Speaker Mike Johnson emphasized the bipartisan nature of the vote, stating that it shows Congress’s opposition to Communist China’s attempts to spy on and manipulate Americans. He urged the Senate to pass the bill and send it to President Joe Biden for approval.
While the House has shown overwhelming support for the bill, the fate of the legislation remains uncertain in the Senate, where some members are cautious about taking such a drastic step against an app with 170 million users in the US. The White House has indicated that President Biden would sign the bill, known as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, into law if it reaches his desk.
However, TikTok has expressed disappointment with the bill, calling the process “secret” and criticizing the rushed nature of its approval. The company hopes that the Senate will consider the impact of the bill on the economy, small businesses, and the millions of Americans who use the app.
The legislation requires TikTok’s parent company ByteDance to sell the app within 180 days or face a ban from major app stores in the US. It also grants the president the authority to designate other applications as national security threats if they are controlled by countries adversarial to the US.
China has warned that the move against TikTok will have consequences for the US, criticizing it as “bullying behavior.” The renewed campaign against TikTok has caught the company off guard, with executives expressing concern over the bill’s progress. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is currently in Washington, lobbying against the bill.
The animosity towards TikTok has also been linked to former President Donald Trump, who previously sought to force ByteDance to divest control of the app during his time in office. However, Trump has since reversed his stance on a ban, citing concerns about strengthening Meta, the owner of Instagram and Facebook.
Despite these efforts to regulate or ban TikTok in the US, previous attempts have been thwarted due to free speech concerns. TikTok has consistently denied any ties to the Chinese government and has taken steps to ensure that US user data remains in the country with independent oversight.
In conclusion, the approval of the bill by the House of Representatives represents a significant development in the ongoing debate over TikTok’s Chinese ownership and its potential national security implications. While the future of the legislation remains uncertain, it reflects the growing concerns about the influence of foreign-owned apps in the US.
