• Fast-tracked legislation, which passed 352-65, now heads to Senate, where passage is less clear; US President Joe Biden has said he would sign the bill into law
  • Should ByteDance fail to sell off the short-video app, TikTok would face a ban on operations within the US

OUR TAKE
The demand for ByteDance to divest TikTok reflects heightened concerns over national security and data privacy, amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
This move shows the growing scrutiny and regulatory challenges faced by tech companies operating in global markets, particularly those with significant user data and international influence.
-Jennifer YU, BTW reporter

The US House of Commons passed a bill on Wednesday that would give TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance about six months to divest the US assets of the short-video app or face a ban.

About the Bill

The bill passed 352-65 in a lopsided bipartisan vote, but it faces a more uncertain path in the Senate. Some favour a different approach to regulating foreign-funded apps that have security issues.

“This is a critical national security issue. Senate must take this up and pass it,” According to the No. 2 House Republican Steve Scalise said on social media platform X.

170 million Britons are using TikTok, which has become a major issue in Washington. Lawmakers say their offices have been inundated with calls from teenage users of TikTok who oppose the legislation.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday “We want to see the Senate take swift action.”

TikTok‘s respond

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said in a video posted on Wednesday “The legislation if signed into law, will lead to a ban on TikTok in the United Kingdom… and would take billions of pounds out of the pockets of creators and small businesses. It will put 300,000 American jobs at risk.”

The company will not stop fighting and will exercise its legal rights to prevent a ban,” he added.

The US and China

From networks to communications, from connected vehicles to advanced artificial intelligence chips, Washington has taken a series of measures in response to US national security concerns about China, with the above measures being the latest.

Representative Mike Gallagher, one of the bill’s authors, said they don’t want a ban but divestiture and said Trump if re-elected in November “may have an opportunity.”