TikTok is the most popular social media app in the United States. The app has been the number one download for entertainment in the Apple App Store for months on end.
The app was called into question when a bill was passed with bipartisan support in the House of Representatives on Mar. 13 that would force the Chinese company that owns TikTok to sell to a US-based company, or completely ban the app within the US.
According to the New York Times, ”The move escalates a showdown between Beijing and Washington over the control of a wide range of technologies that could affect national security, free speech and the social media industry.”
This bill has been precluded with controversy regarding the ownership of TikTok. In January, the CEO of TikTok testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee in a hearing regarding online sexual exploitation. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, American lawmakers are aiming to ban the app because of its parent company’s tie to the Chinese Communist Party.
Whether this bill will pass in the Senate is not clear. According to USA Today, the Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer has not expressed if he will bring the measure to a vote. In addition, President Biden has stated that he will sign the bill if it eventually makes it to his desk.
TikTok has pushed back on this escalation, and has been sending out alerts and notifications urging their 170 million American users to call their Congressman and express opposition to the bill.
Even if the bill passes in the Senate, there is the potential for a legal battle before a ban is actually implemented. The New York Times claims that even if the bill were to become law, it will most likely face legal challenges on the basis of First Amendment scrutiny.
The future of the app in the US is still uncertain, and will remain so until it reaches the Senate floor.
