House green lights bill that could impose Tik Tok ban in the US

The House has passed a bill that could lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app TikTok if its China-based owner ByteDance Ltd. refuses to sell. According to the Associated Press (AP), the bill passed by a vote of 352-65 and will now proceed to the Senate where its prospects remain unclear.

Lawmakers argue that ByteDance's connection to the Chinese government poses a national security threat, as Chinese national security laws could potentially force ByteDance to share TikTok users' data with the state. The app currently has over 150 million American users according to the AP.

Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington State stated that TikTok has a clear choice: "Separate from your parent company ByteDance, which is beholden to the CCP (the Chinese Communist Party), and remain operational in the United States, or side with the CCP and face the consequences."

However, the bill has garnered criticism from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, as well as users concerned about the potential impact on freedom of speech and American businesses that rely on the platform.

Despite TikTok's denial of sharing U.S. user data with Chinese authorities, national security officials in the Biden administration held a closed-door briefing to discuss potential implications, according to the AP. President Joe Biden said he will sign the bill if Congress passes it.

With increasing tensions between the U.S. and China, the fate of TikTok's ownership in the U.S. remains uncertain. The Senate's decision on the legislation will determine if the ban will take effect or if ByteDance will comply with the demands for a sale.