In a significant move on Tuesday, lawmakers introduced a bill in Congress aimed at addressing national security concerns tied to TikTok, the popular video app owned by China's ByteDance. The bipartisan initiative, led by Representatives Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), proposes the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which mandates ByteDance to divest TikTok to prevent its ban in the U.S.
Gallagher, the chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, emphasized the gravity of the threat posed by TikTok's connection to the Chinese government. "This is my message to TikTok: break up with the Chinese Communist Party or lose access to your American users," Gallagher stated, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
The bill underscores TikTok as a tool potentially controlled by a foreign adversary, thus compromising U.S. national security. If passed, it would give ByteDance approximately five months to divest the app, and companies like Apple and Google would be required to cease support for TikTok and related applications.
Responding to the proposed legislation, a TikTok spokesperson criticized the bill as a veiled attempt to ban the platform, arguing it infringes on the First Amendment rights of millions of Americans and impacts small businesses reliant on the app for growth.
The initiative reflects ongoing efforts in Washington, D.C., to address TikTok's alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party—a claim persistently denied by TikTok's CEO, Shou Zi Chew. The move follows previous actions, including a 2022 legislation signed by President Joe Biden banning TikTok on government-owned devices, amidst concerns over data privacy and national security. This latest legislative attempt to regulate TikTok's operations in the U.S. underscores the escalating scrutiny of technology platforms with foreign ties, signaling a critical juncture in the debate over digital sovereignty and security.
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