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update: Senators have already announced their support or opposition to the bill, along with Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania). commit and Mike Lee (R-Utah) to vote in favor of a possible ban. decide Vote against it.
It is unclear whether the Senate will vote on the bill before its two-week recess at the end of March. If the bill is signed into law, TikTok is expected to challenge it in court.
Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) released a joint statement supporting the bill.
my statement with @senMarcoRubio About the House passing a bill to protect Americans from apps controlled by foreign adversaries. pic.twitter.com/2tI0q1hCuR
— Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) March 13, 2024
Original story from March 13th:
U.S. House of Representatives members have passed a bill that would ban TikTok in the countries that use it the most.
The vote passed 352-65, with 50 Democrats and 15 Republicans voting no. One Democrat voted present.
The bipartisan bill, called the Protecting Americans from Regulatory Applications by Foreign Adversaries Act, now moves to the Senate, where its fate is unclear. If the document reaches President Joe Biden’s desk, he is likely to sign it, as he has previously said.
Related: TikTok CEO testifies at Congressional hearing: Building a ‘firewall’ around US data
If the bill passes, TikTok would be required to separate from its parent company, Beijing ByteDance, within six months or face the consequences of being blocked from U.S. app stores. It turns out.
Tik Tok CEO Shou Chu attends a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with representatives of social media companies at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Wednesday, January 31, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Lawmakers have repeatedly scrutinized TikTok’s relationship with the Chinese government. part time dance Over the potential for China to gain access to the data of millions of Americans and the potential for the current ownership structure to pose a national security threat.
“Today, we are sending a clear message that we will not allow our enemies to weaponize our freedoms,” said House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.). Stated.
But some lawmakers, including Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), aren’t convinced TikTok is an imminent threat.
“The idea of basically banning entrepreneurs and small business owners, which is the main way that young people actually communicate, to me is preposterous,” Garcia told the AP.
Related: TikTok CEO named honorary chairman at 2024 Met Gala
TikTok has repeatedly denied sharing U.S. data with China. The company has also begun lobbying against the bill, which Rogers cited as an example of the company using its “influence and power to compel users to contact their representatives.” Ta.
A TikTok spokesperson said, “The Senate considered the facts, listened to voters, and recognized the impact on the economy, 7 million small businesses, and the 170 million Americans who use our services. We hope you will,” a TikTok spokesperson said. statement.The company’s previous statements point the right to freedom of expression; response Outcry from voters about possible ban.
TikTok became available in the US in 2018 and has since gained over 170 million US users. This makes the US the country with the largest TikTok audience in the world, according to estimates from Statista.
TikTok CEO Hsu Chu first testified before Congress in March, speaking about the need for “clear and transparent rules that apply broadly to all technology companies.”
Related: Judge blocks US state’s attempt to ban TikTok for all residents – here’s why
The bill now goes to the Senate.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a brief statement that “the Senate will consider the bill as soon as it leaves the House.”
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