A bipartisan bill that could lead to a ban on the popular video-sharing app TikTok in the United States is gaining momentum, with President Joe Biden indicating his readiness to sign it into law if passed by Congress. However, the proposed legislation is facing an unlikely opponent – former President Donald Trump, who had previously supported a TikTok ban during his administration.
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TikTok Ban Bill Gains Momentum: Biden Ready to Sign, Trump Raises Opposition
The bill, known as the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, aims to address national security concerns surrounding TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance. Lawmakers from both parties have accused the app of being a potential tool for Chinese espionage and censorship, allegations that TikTok has vehemently denied.
If enacted, the bill would give ByteDance 165 days, or approximately five and a half months, to divest its ownership of TikTok to a U.S. entity. Failure to do so would result in TikTok being banned from app stores and web hosting services in the country, effectively cutting off access to its estimated 170 million American users.
The bill has already been unanimously passed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee and is expected to be brought to a vote on the House floor next week. President Biden has expressed his willingness to sign the legislation, stating, “If they pass it, I’ll sign it.”
TikTok, however, is not backing down without a fight. The company has launched a campaign to rally its users against the proposed ban, displaying full-screen pop-ups within the app warning that the bill could strip Americans of their constitutional right to free expression and damage countless businesses and creators’ livelihoods.
The campaign has flooded congressional offices with phone calls from confused teenagers and older users, many of whom are unaware of the specifics behind the legislation or the potential risks associated with TikTok.
Interestingly, former President Donald Trump, who had previously threatened to ban TikTok during his tenure, has now voiced opposition to the bipartisan bill. In a social media post, Trump expressed concern that eliminating TikTok would only benefit Facebook, which he accused of cheating in the last election and described as a “true enemy of the people.”
The situation highlights the complex interplay between national security concerns, technological innovation, and political dynamics in the United States. While lawmakers from both parties view TikTok as a potential threat, the proposed ban has sparked debates over free speech, economic implications, and the role of foreign-owned platforms in the digital landscape.
As the bill moves forward in Congress, the outcome will likely have far-reaching consequences for TikTok’s future in the U.S. market, as well as broader implications for the regulation of foreign-owned apps and the balance between security and innovation.
