US House Passes Bill: ByteDance Must Divest TikTok or Face Ban

Washington: The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill on Wednesday, compelling TikTok to divest from its Chinese owner or face a US ban. Lawmakers voted 352 in favor and 65 against, marking a rare bipartisan unity in Washington.

The legislation poses a significant threat to TikTok, which has garnered global popularity but raised concerns about its Chinese ownership and potential ties to the Communist Party in Beijing.

The bill's fate in the Senate remains uncertain, with some key figures hesitant to take drastic action against an app boasting 170 million US users.

President Joe Biden has indicated he would sign the bill, officially titled the "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act," into law.

Under the measure, TikTok's parent company ByteDance must sell the app within 180 days or risk being barred from US app stores by Apple and Google. It also grants the president authority to label other apps controlled by adversarial countries as national security threats.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is in Washington, lobbying to prevent the bill's passage, while the company has voiced constitutional concerns and denied any affiliation with the Chinese government.

The bill's approval reflects a shift in Republican lawmakers' stance, diverging from Donald Trump's previous efforts to ban TikTok. Trump himself recently opposed a ban, fearing it would benefit Meta, owner of Instagram and Facebook.

Despite skepticism among some lawmakers and past legal hurdles, proponents argue the bill is necessary to safeguard national security against potential threats posed by foreign-controlled apps.