The US House Passes a TikTok Ban Bill
The US House Passes a TikTok Ban Bill
What is the TikTok Ban Bill, why does the government want to ban it, and what does this mean for users? Read more in this detail…
Washington DC, The U.S.A.: A proposal to ban TikTok in the United States is based on national security considerations. A purchase of ByteDance is mandatory. Biden is capable of reaching a conclusion. The opposing viewpoints of Musk and Trump are seen. Users and creators express their concerns. The vote in the Senate was expected.
In addition to the company itself, small businesses and TikTok users, specifically content creators who rely on the application for financial gain, will experience adverse consequences. Influencers have devoted years to developing their follower bases on the platform.
A resolution introduced in the United States House of Representatives proposes a nationwide ban on TikTok, which has prompted renewed scrutiny. The legislation requires ByteDance, the Chinese company that operates the platform TikTok, to sell its ownership within a period of six months.
An infraction would lead to the imposition of a suspension. The measure to ban TikTok received 352 votes in favor and 65 votes against. The following are the responses to every inquiry pertaining to the development.
What is the TikTok Ban Bill?
The measure symbolizes the most recent escalated situations in the enmity between the United States and China.
The United States has argued that Chinese ownership of TikTok poses a threat to national security because the app could be exploited to disseminate false information or gain access to the personal information of American citizens.
What Options Does TikTok Have?
TikTok will have two options following the approval of the bill: either separate the application from its Chinese proprietor, ByteDance, or it would face the risk of a ban in the country. Jake Sullivan, national security adviser for the White House, recently stated that the purpose of the bill is to terminate Chinese ownership of TikTok, not to ban it.
Challenges for TikTok
TikTok will keep running in the United States if US President Joe Biden concludes “via an interagency procedure” that the social networking site is “no longer owned by a foreign adversary” in the event that ByteDance decides to divest its stakes. Reportedly, the application has attracted a significant number of participants.
However, under Chinese law, a mandatory selling of TikTok, which is utilized by 170 million Americans, could require the company to disclose information regarding US users. TikTok has stated unequivocally that it does not retain user information from the United States in China.
TikTok will be banned from app stores, including the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, in addition to web hosting services, if the company opts not to sell.
Resistance To TikTok Ban
Political figures of influence, including Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, and former US President Donald Trump, have also opposed the legislation prohibiting TikTok. A prohibition on TikTok, according to Trump, would benefit Facebook’s parent corporation Meta, and cause harm to some children.
“I have no intention of replicating Facebook in its entirety. Furthermore, Facebook and others, but primarily Facebook, will benefit significantly from the prohibition of TikTok. Facebook, in my opinion, has been extremely dishonest,” Trump added.
Even more, dozens of teenage TikTok users allegedly called the offices of legislators to voice their opposition to legislation that would ban the popular app.
The bill will now be considered by the Senate, and Biden stated last week that he would sign it if it were to pass. The trajectory of events in the Senate, where multiple measures intended to prohibit TikTok have stalled, remains uncertain.
Previous Attempts To Ban TikTok
Notably, Trump tried to take down the social media platform via executive order in 2020, but the effort was ultimately thwarted by the courts subsequent to TikTok’s lawsuit. On national security grounds, the Trump administration mediated an agreement in which Oracle and Walmart, two American corporations, acquired a substantial stake in TikTok. However, the sale did not occur.
Despite withdrawing Trump’s executive order, the Biden administration persisted in its evaluation of the platform.
How Will It Affect Users?
Small businesses and TikTok users, particularly content creators who depend on the application for revenue, will be negatively affected in addition to the company. On the platform, influencers have spent years enhancing their followers.
Certain TikTok users were notified last week that a “total ban” on the platform could “damage millions of businesses, destroy the livelihoods of countless creators across the country, and deny artists an audience.” In response, these users were urged to contact their representatives.
About The Author:
Yogesh Naager is a content marketer who specializes in the cybersecurity and B2B space. Besides writing for the News4Hackers blog, he’s also written for brands including CollegeDunia, Utsav Fashion, and NASSCOM. Naager entered the field of content in an unusual way. He began his career as an insurance sales executive, where he developed an interest in simplifying difficult concepts. He also combines this interest with a love of narrative, which makes him a good writer in the cybersecurity field. In the bottom line, he frequently writes for Craw Security.
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