Congress in Dilemma as TikTok Faces Ban or Sale-off in US
American politicians are facing a surge of calls from TikTok users expressing discontent over plans to compel its parent company to sell the social media platform, Excel Magazine International has gathered.
A bill requiring the sale within six months or risking a TikTok ban gained approval from a US congressional panel on Thursday.
Earlier, TikTok users received notifications urging them to take action to prevent a potential shutdown of the app.
According to a congressional aide who spoke to BBC said numerous calls have flooded their office, with one Congressman noting that even children have reached out regarding the issue.
TikTok confirmed that it had urged users to contact their representatives to oppose the measure.
The bill, proposed by a bipartisan group of 20 lawmakers forming the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, unanimously passed the Energy and Commerce Committee with a 50-0 vote.
It is expected to proceed to a full House floor vote next week, requiring Senate approval before becoming law.
Criticism arose from the committee chairwoman regarding TikTok’s mobilization of its user base, prompting a response from the platform questioning why lawmakers would complain about hearing from their constituents.
Excel Magazine International reports that the bill aims to safeguard US national security from foreign adversary-controlled applications, specifically targeting ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, which would be compelled to sell the app or face removal from US mobile app stores.
Although lawmakers argue that the bill provides a six-month window for compliance, TikTok characterized the move as an outright ban, asserting it would infringe upon the First Amendment rights of millions of Americans and harm small businesses.
Supporters of the bill emphasize concerns about TikTok’s potential national security risks due to its alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party, which ByteDance and TikTok deny.
Critics, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), argue that the legislation jeopardizes freedom of expression and impacts millions of users who rely on the app for communication and information.
This legislative effort represents the latest in a series of attempts by American policymakers to address concerns surrounding TikTok, which has been banned on US government devices but maintains a presence within the re-election campaign of President Joe Biden.
Previous efforts by former President Donald Trump to ban TikTok and WeChat faced legal challenges and were not implemented.
