House of Representatives passes bill against Chinese ownership of TikTok

2024-03-13 19:34:00, Tech CNA

The House of Representatives of the US Congress approved a bill today, according to which the popular application TikTok must either be separated from the Chinese company ByteDance that owns it, or sell its American version, to continue to be allowed to be used in the United States.

The bipartisan bill gives TikTok six months to break away from foreign control, including exiting the company's ByteDance ownership.

According to U.S. lawmakers, ByteDance is controlled by the Chinese government, which can demand access to TikTok's U.S. customer data anytime it wants.

This concern has its roots in a series of Chinese national security laws, under which companies are obliged to help gather intelligence information.

Although the House of Representatives passed the bill, its fate in the Senate is uncertain.

Why is TikTok in the limelight?

"The concern is that TikTok could transfer personal data to parent company ByteDance, which would then pass it on to the Chinese government," Caitlin Chin-Rothmann, a researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told VOA. .

She says the concerns of some members of Congress about the possibility of the Chinese Communist Party controlling TikTok's algorithm for propaganda purposes have yet to be proven.

"This does not mean that there is no risk that in the future the Chinese government will exert pressure," she said.

What does TikTok say about this legislation?

TikTok on Monday called the law a ban and has repeatedly denied the allegations against it. In a statement made last week to the X network, the company said that "the legislation has a predetermined result: the complete ban of TikTok in the United States."

What were the legislators' views on this legislation?

The bill had strong support from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, although congressional offices have received numerous calls from Americans worried about the possibility of losing the social media app.

House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters last week that "it's a significant measure of bipartisan support for China, our biggest geopolitical adversary, which is actively undermining our economy and our security."

The bill may have much more difficulty getting passed in the Democratic-majority Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has said it will be considered by relevant committees.

"I will listen to their views on the law and decide on the best course of action," Mr. Schumer said in a statement.

Several Democratic senators, including Mark Warner, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, have expressed doubts about the legality of singling out a particular social media application in a bill. He has suggested broader legislation on apps that collect personal data.

But Senator Warner told CBS News on Sunday that TikTok is a serious national security concern.

"If you don't think that the Chinese Communist Party can transform the algorithm to suit delivering news that reflects their views, then I don't think you properly recognize the nature of this risk," Senator Warner said.

What do the main presidential candidates think about this law?

The White House said it welcomed the new legislation, although Biden's campaign officials recently joined forces with TikTok in an effort to reach younger voters.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that the law ensures that "property is not in the hands of those who wish to harm us."

Former President Donald Trump, who initially called for a ban on the app in 2020, has now changed his stance and said he would empower Facebook if TikTok was no longer available.

"There are a lot of good things and a lot of bad things about TikTok. But what I don't like is that without TikTok, Facebook will become even bigger," he told CNBC this week during a phone interview.

What happens after approval in the House of Representatives?

In addition to constitutional concerns about impeding the exercise of free speech by US citizens, the law would also encounter difficulties in its implementation and face challenges in US courts.

"Chinese export control laws could prevent the sale of TikTok's algorithm," Ms Chin-Rothmann said. "The separation of this company would be generally very difficult from a logistical point of view. TikTok is one of the biggest companies in the world. So a potential buyer must also be a big buyer. They must have a strategic interest in buying TikTok, and the purchase must not raise concerns about creating a monopoly in the United States."/ VOA