Efforts are underway by lawmakers on Capitol Hill to ban TikTok in the United States.
Legislation was presented by a group of politicians from both parties this week, which requires the social media platform to either separate from its parent company ByteDance, owned by China, within six months or face a nationwide ban. The bill was examined by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on Thursday and was unanimously approved. It is now ready for a vote on the House floor.
Legislators are experiencing pushback from TikTok users, who are inundating their offices with phone calls and emails.
The introduction of this bill is the most recent attempt to prohibit TikTok due to worries about national security, specifically regarding China potentially having direct access to users’ data. Representative Mike Gallagher, the leader of the House committee investigating China, reports that following the bill’s introduction, certain TikTok users reported receiving misleading pop-up messages on the app about the bill’s purpose and goals.
According to Gallagher, the process involves users entering their zip code and the system automatically contacting the corresponding member of Congress to urge them to “Stop the ban on TikTok.” However, upon closer examination of the bill, it is not actually a ban, but rather a requirement for TikTok to separate from the Chinese Communist party. This gives TikTok the option to end their affiliation with the party and as long as they do so, the company can remain operational.
Reportedly, TikTok has invested over $10 million in the past few years to persuade legislators that the app’s data is secure. With more than 150 million users in the U.S., a potential nationwide ban would have a significant impact on Americans.
Many U.S. organizations, including the White House, have implemented measures to forbid federal employees from installing TikTok on government devices due to concerns about national security. As reported by the Office of Management and Budget, this directive is a crucial step in addressing the potential risks posed by the app to confidential government information.
Based on a recent survey conducted by Pew Research Center, more than half of Americans are of the opinion that TikTok poses a risk, either major or minor, to the national security of the United States. Additionally, approximately 42% of TikTok users share the belief that the platform is a cause for concern in terms of national security.
