The American House of Representatives adopted a bill on Wednesday which provides for the ban on TikTok in the United States if the social network does not cut ties with its parent company ByteDance and more broadly with China.
TikTok has been in the crosshairs of American authorities for several months, with many officials believing that the short and entertaining video platform allows Beijing to spy on and manipulate its 170 million users in the United States.
Ahead of the vote, China announced that a ban “will undermine the confidence of international investors” and would amount to “shooting itself in the foot” for the world’s leading power, according to a spokesperson for Chinese diplomacy. lambasting the “intimidation” against TikTok.
It was expected that the project would be adopted by an overwhelming majority in a rare moment of understanding between the two parties at loggerheads.
By contrast, the bill’s fate is uncertain in the Senate, where prominent figures oppose such a drastic measure against an extremely popular app.
President Joe Biden will sign, if it arrives on his desk, this text officially known as the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” (editor’s note) , declared the White House.
The measure, which passed unanimously in committee last week, would require ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell the app within 180 days or it would be barred from TikTok’s app stores. Apple and Google in the United States.
It would also give the president the power to designate other apps as a national security threat if they are controlled by a country considered hostile to the United States.
National security risks
Several states and the federal government have banned use of the app on official government devices, citing national security risks.
Washington’s renewed offensive against TikTok surprised the company, according to the Wall Street Journal. However, TikTok managers were reassured by the arrival last month on the platform of Joe Biden as part of his campaign for a second term.
TikTok categorically denies any connection to the Chinese government and has restructured the company so that US user data remains in the country.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is in Washington, where he is trying to drum up support to block the bill.
“This latest legislation, passed at unprecedented speed without even the benefit of a public hearing, poses serious constitutional problems,” wrote Michael Beckerman, TikTok vice president of public policy, in a letter to advocates of the bill, which AFP has taken note of.
Republican Mike Gallagher and Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi, like the White House, argue that the bill is not a ban on TikTok, as long as the company cuts ties with ByteDance.
Former President Donald Trump reversed course, saying Monday that he opposed a ban mainly because it would strengthen Meta, the owner of Instagram and Facebook, whom he called an “enemy of the people.” “.
When he was president, Mr. Trump attempted to wrest control of TikTok from ByteDance before being blocked by the American courts. Mr. Trump has refuted accusations that he changed his tune because a major TikTok investor, hedge fund Jeff Yass, is donating to his campaign.
Other attempts to ban TikTok have also failed, with a bill proposed a year ago going nowhere, mainly due to free speech concerns.
Similarly, a law passed by the state of Montana to ban the platform was stayed by a federal court on the grounds that it likely violated constitutional free speech rights.