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The US House on Wednesday passed a bill that could lead to the banning of TikTok unless the Chinese company that owns it sells it off in the next six months.
The House voted 352-65 in favor of the measure, with one member voting present. The measure now heads to the Senate. President Joe Biden has said he will sign the law if Congress approves it.
Lawmakers in both political parties have long voiced concerns that the popular social media video app, which is owned by China-based ByteDance, could be a threat to national security and could be used by the Chinese government to spy on Americans or spead disinformation to further China’s agenda.
TikTok has consistently denied those accusations. Ahead of the vote, TikTok rallied its US users, calling on them to urge their representatives on Capitol Hill to vote down the measure.
Representatives for TikTok didn’t immediately return an email seeking comment.
Under the bill, ByteDance would need to divest from TikTok and other apps it owns within six months of the bill taking effect or be required to pull itself from US app stores. But experts say the unprecedented move would undoubtedly prompt legal challenges from free-speech advocates, the tech industry and others, especially in the absence of any direct evidence showing Chinese government ties or surveillance.
Note: This is a developing story and will be updated.
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