The US House has voted in favour of a bill that could lead to a nationwide TikTok ban unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sells its stake.
The vote, with 352 in favour and 65 against, gives ByteDance a 165-day ultimatum to divest or face exclusion from app stores and web hosting services. The bill awaits Senate approval and has received indications of support from President Joe Biden. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has yet to decide on a Senate vote.
ByteDance, based in Beijing, has come under fire for its data handling practices, including breaching the US Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. The FBI began investigating ByteDance in March 2023 for allegedly using TikTok for espionage activities.
As one of the world’s most valuable private companies, ByteDance’s valuation stands at $220 billion. It shares this status with other major companies like Ant Group, SpaceX, and Shein.
Former President and Republican nominee Donald Trump has altered his stance on TikTok. In 2020, he pursued a ban on the app but recently conveyed to NBC his mixed views, highlighting both positive and negative aspects of TikTok and its potential impact on Facebook’s dominance.
