U.S. House Votes to Ban TikTok Unless Sold: What You Need to Know

The battle over the popular short-form video app TikTok has reached a new level as the U.S. House of Representatives voted to ban the platform unless it is sold to a government-approved buyer. The push to force the Chinese company ByteDance to divest itself of ownership of TikTok in the United States has been gaining momentum, with concerns about data security and China’s potential influence on the app.

Lawmakers in the U.S., Europe, and Canada have raised alarms about TikTok potentially sharing sensitive user data with the Chinese government. They have also expressed worries about China using TikTok’s content recommendations to spread misinformation, particularly during sensitive events like the Israel-Hamas conflict and the presidential election.

The House vote, which passed with a significant majority, gives ByteDance up to a year to find a buyer for TikTok. The Senate is expected to vote on the legislation soon, with President Biden likely to support it. The move to force a sale of TikTok comes after previous efforts to ban the app or restrict its use in government devices and networks.

TikTok has denied allegations of sharing user data with the Chinese government and has tried to distance itself from ByteDance. However, the pressure to sell the app to a U.S.-approved buyer continues to grow.

The ban on TikTok would involve targeting app stores like Apple and Google, as well as internet hosting companies, to prevent the distribution and maintenance of the app. The legislation has sparked speculation about potential buyers, including large American corporations and private equity firms.

Despite TikTok’s efforts to address national security concerns and its lobbying push, the Biden administration supports the legislation to force ByteDance to sell TikTok. The administration has been in talks with TikTok for years to address concerns about data privacy and potential ties to the Chinese government.

The ban on TikTok could face legal challenges on First Amendment grounds, as the app has become a platform for political discourse and artistic expression for many Americans. The exact mechanism for banning TikTok from privately owned phones is still unclear, but the battle over the app’s future is far from over.