US House officially passes bill that would force TikTok sale or face ban.
The US House of Representatives approved a bill that would effectively ban TikTok in the US unless its Chinese owner sells the popular video-sharing app, marking a significant challenge to a service used by 170 million Americans, but which critics deem a national security risk.
The bill, passed on Wednesday with a vote of 352 to 65, now moves to the Senate, where its future is less certain. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has not yet endorsed the bill, and some members, including Republican Rand Paul, have voiced opposition.
President Joe Biden has indicated he would sign the legislation if it clears the Senate, despite his reelection campaign recently joining TikTok. This move comes even as he risks alienating younger voters just eight months before facing Donald Trump in a potential election rematch. If the bill becomes law, it would set the stage for a new confrontation with China, whose leaders previously opposed a sale when Biden pressured TikTok's owner, ByteDance Ltd., to divest.
However, even if the bill is enacted, it is expected to face legal challenges from TikTok and its supporters. The company conducted a last-minute lobbying effort on Capitol Hill, arguing that the measure would infringe on the First Amendment.
"TikTok is hopeful that the Senate will carefully consider the facts, listen to their constituents, and understand the impact on the economy, 7 million small businesses, and the 170 million Americans who use our service," the company said in a statement.
Despite earlier expressions of ambivalence from Trump, House Republicans largely supported the bill. Trump, who had previously signed an executive order seeking to ban TikTok, expressed concerns about giving too much power to Meta Inc.'s Facebook, which suspended him for two years over his role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Nevertheless, Trump's views did not sway many Republicans, with 189 voting in favor of the bill and only 16 against it.
The bill represents the most significant congressional effort yet to restrict TikTok. Proponents of the legislation argue that China's government has influence over ByteDance Ltd., TikTok's Beijing-based parent company, and uses the app for propaganda. FBI Director Christopher Wray recently highlighted "significant" national security concerns related to TikTok during a Senate hearing.
During the Trump administration, an agreement was reached for ByteDance to sell its American assets to a group led by Oracle Corp., but this deal fell through. Under Biden, TikTok agreed to a plan called Project Texas, in which Oracle would manage US user data, review TikTok's software, and appoint a government-approved oversight board. However, US officials later deemed Project Texas insufficient and urged ByteDance to divest, a step the company refused to take.
The House passed the bill just eight days after its introduction. If enacted, the legislation would prevent US app stores, such as those operated by Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc.'s Google, from offering TikTok unless ByteDance sells the app within 180 days.
