EXPLAINED: Why Is US Proposing A Nationwide Ban On TikTok And How It Will Affect Users?
The US House of Representatives on Wednesday unanimously passed a bill to ban TikTok across the country if the wildly-popular social media platform does not severe its ownership from ByteDance , a Chinese company which powers the platform, within the next six months.
In a major bipartisan move on Wednesday, the US House of Representatives passed by 352 to 65 votes the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act co-authored by Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat, and Congressman Mike Gallaghe from the Republican party.
The bill, which seeks to control the ownership of foreign apps like TikTok in the United States, now heads to the Senate for it to be sent to the White House for President Joe Biden to sign it into law.
Why US is proposing to ban TikTok?
US lawmakers who brought forth the bill to ban TikTok have flagged data privacy concerns of American citizens as the app is owned by Chinese company ByteDance which is allegedly under the control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
US intelligence services has warned of possibilities of China using apps like TikTok to influence the country presidential elections in November this year.
“We cannot rule out the possibility that the CCP would use it (TikTok) to influence US elections,” Avril Haines, US director of national intelligence said in his report to the House intelligence committee.
Congressman Greg Murphy, one of the representatives who supported the bill alleged that China is using TikTok is to “target, surveil and manipulate American citizens”.
“The app collects sensitive user data that is shared with the Chinese Communist Party and its intelligence services. Under its current ownership, it presents a grave national security threat,” Murphy said.
