When Donald Trump was president, he sounded the alarm over social network TikTok. He was the first to raise concerns that the popular app was being used by Communist China to gather data on Americans.
Nothing has happened for years. But recently, talk has grown about a ban.
But Trump himself has warned Republicans not to ban TikTok, as it would give other social networks too much power. Despite his warnings, the House voted on a questionable bill that might give the government too much power. This is what happened.
From CNBC:
The House approved a bill Wednesday that calls for China tech giant ByteDance to divest TikTok or the popular social video app will effectively be banned in the U.S.The measure passed with a resounding 352-65 vote and with one member voting present…
The bill now heads to the Senate where it faces an uncertain future as senators appear divided about the legislation, and other federal and state-led efforts to ban TikTok have stalled.
The Republican-led House successfully passed a possible ban on social app TikTok. The measure was bipartisan, with 352 congressmen voting for it. The bill demands that TikTok be divested from the Chinese company that owns it, or it could be banned in the United States.
The consequences of such legislation could be world-shattering. The American government is demanding that a foreign company make major changes to how it runs its business—or face major punishments. TikTok is used all over the world, by individuals and small businesses.
This bill could not only hurt the app but also the estimated 7 million American businesses that use it. Not to mention the 170 million Americans who use it to connect with people every day.
Trump is even against a ban on the app. While he has his own interest in the social media world, TRUTH Social, he does not want less competition which would only help Mark Zuckerberg and other Silicon Valley censors.
It is not clear if the bill will gain any traction in the Senate, however. The prospect of exerting this much control over a company is daunting, even to Democrat lawmakers. It is likely the House was quick to pass this bill, knowing the Senate would have the unpopular decision to make it a reality.
Key Takeaways:
- The House passed a bill that could ban TikTok, 352-65.
- The bill would force ByteDance to break from TikTok or the app would be banned.
- The bill now moves to the Senate, which might not vote to pass it.
Source: CNBC
