Solen Feyissa, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, Cropped by Resist the Mainstream

On Saturday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass legislation that could potentially ban TikTok in the United States.

This legislation was included in a broader aid package aimed at supporting Israel and Ukraine, with the bill receiving a bipartisan vote of 360-58, according to NBC.

The legislation targets TikTok by preventing the app, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, from being hosted in U.S. app stores unless it is sold to a new owner. This move is a significant step as TikTok, with its 170 million U.S. users, faces ongoing scrutiny over national security concerns.

The legislative measure, which demands TikTok find a new owner within 270 days—a timeline that can be extended by an additional 90 days by the President if substantial progress towards a sale is made, underscores the escalating tensions between regulatory measures and digital platforms.

TikTok has strongly opposed the legislation, arguing that it infringes on the First Amendment rights of its users and poses a threat to small businesses and the economy.

“It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill that would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate 7 million businesses, and shutter a platform that contributes $24 billion to the U.S. economy, annually,” TikTok stated in a post on X on Wednesday.

As the Senate is expected to vote on this package shortly, with a high likelihood of passage, TikTok has hinted at possible legal action to challenge the bill, setting the stage for a significant judicial confrontation over digital rights and access.

TikTok, owned by the Chinese technology giant ByteDance, has been under intense scrutiny by U.S. lawmakers due to concerns over data security and potential ties to the Chinese government. The app has been criticized for its data collection practices, which some U.S. officials worry could allow the Chinese government access to personal data of American users.

In response to these concerns, TikTok has attempted to reassure users and regulators by implementing stricter data security measures and proposing to route all U.S. user data through servers controlled by Oracle, a U.S.-based company.

The debate over TikTok’s operation in the U.S. reflects broader geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China, which have escalated over issues ranging from trade to technology transfer and cybersecurity. The U.S. government has previously taken action against other Chinese tech companies, citing national security concerns.

For instance, the Trump administration attempted to ban transactions with TikTok and WeChat, another Chinese-owned app, which led to legal challenges that delayed the bans, per the BBC. These actions are part of a wider strategy to mitigate perceived threats from Chinese technology companies operating in the U.S.

In the global context, other countries have also scrutinized TikTok over similar security concerns. India, for example, banned TikTok and several other Chinese apps in 2020, citing threats to its sovereignty and security. This move came amid rising tensions between India and China following border clashes. Additionally, the European Union has launched investigations into TikTok’s data privacy practices, adding to the global pressure on the app to comply with stringent data protection standards, as reported by The Guardian. This international perspective underscores the widespread apprehension regarding the influence of Chinese technology companies on global data security and privacy.