On Wednesday (Mar.13), the U.S. Congress passed a bill that would have major implications for TikTok.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. Although the bill mentions TikTok, it is applicable to any app controlled by foreign advisories in the U.S.
TikTok has been given 180 days to ensure that the China-based ByteDance will have to sell TikTok within the U.S., or it will be banned in the country. This means it will become illegal for any app stores or web servers that host TikTok.
Congress alleged that TikTok is being controlled by a company in China, despite several reassurances from the social media app that it is privately owned. This week, TikTok sent an in-app alert to U.S. users urging them to call their local representatives to oppose the bill.
“Your voice can help the TikTok communities you love,” the message said.
This move was taken after the U.S. government raised concerns about risks to national security and the data of users on the platform.
According to a recent tweet, a spokesperson from TikTok is calling this bill a ‘ban’ and hopes that the Senate will consider facts before taking any action.
❖ TIKTOK CALLS U.S. HOUSE BILL A “BAN” AND HOPES “SENATE WILL CONSIDER THE FACTS, LISTEN TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS” BEFORE TAKING ANY ACTION – SPOKESPERSONMarch 13, 2024
More to come…
