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What to Know About the TikTok Bill That the House Passed
The bill, which would force TikTok’s Chinese parent to sell the popular social media app, faces a difficult path in the Senate.
David McCabe and
House lawmakers on Wednesday approved legislation meant to force ByteDance, the Chinese internet company, to sell its wildly popular social media app TikTok.
The vote was the latest development in a yearslong cold war between the United States and China over who controls valuable technology from computer chips to artificial intelligence. Lawmakers and the White House have expressed concerns that TikTok’s Chinese ownership poses a national security risk because Beijing could use the app to gain access to Americans’ data or run a disinformation campaign.
The bill faces a difficult path in the Senate. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, has not yet committed to bringing it up for a vote.
transcript
United States House Passes Bill That Could Ban TikTok
If the TikTok bill were to become law, it would probably deepen tensions between the United States and China over the control of important technologies.
“Two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended — the bill is passed.” “This is a common sense measure to protect our national security.” “TikTok said its data is not accessible to China-based ByteDance employees. False. China-based employees routinely access this data, even unbeknownst to employees of TikTok U.S.A.”
Here’s what to know about the bill.
Why have House lawmakers supported the bill?
Many are worried that the Chinese government could demand the personal data of Americans from ByteDance and that, under Chinese law, ByteDance would have to comply.
Lawmakers including Representative Mike Gallagher, the Wisconsin Republican who co-led the bill, and Senator Mark Warner, Democrat of Virginia, also say China could use TikTok’s powerful algorithm to feed its users political propaganda. Christopher A. Wray, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Avril Haines, director of national intelligence, have flagged the concerns in the last year.
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