The US House of Representatives has passed a bill that could potentially result in a nationwide TikTok ban. As per the proposed legislation, ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is required to divest from the social media platform within 165 days, or face a “total ban” from the country. The bill is set to go to the US Senate after receiving overwhelming support from congressmen within the house, with 352 members voting in favour of it. If the bill is passed, it will go to President Biden, who has reportedly said he would “sign it as soon as it lands on his desk”.
Under the legislation, ByteDance would have to sell the social media platform’s US operations to a company based outside China. This move comes amid concerns over privacy and the political influence wielded by the platform. The co-author of the bill, Mike Gallagher, a Wisconsin Republican, stated that the US cannot “take the risk of having a dominant news platform in America controlled or owned by a company that is beholden to the Chinese Communist Party”. Jake Sullivan, the White House’s national security adviser, clarified that “the goal is ending Chinese ownership – not banning TikTok”.
TikTok has reportedly stated that it is unclear whether it could even complete a sale within six months. The company has argued that the government is attempting to deprive 170 million Americans of their constitutional right to free expression. There are concerns that banning the app would damage the livelihoods of countless creators and businesses, deny artists an audience, and destroy the livelihoods of countless creators across the country. Although it is uncertain how many people make a living through the app, a recent data reveals that TikTok influencers earn an average salary of $121,765. In the music industry, ‘TikTok songs’ have become a source of discovery for both music listeners and musicians alike.
The media giant reported a total of 220 million TikTok downloads in the United States, with over a billion people using the platform to watch, share and create videos. TikTok’s meteoric rise has made it a threat to other social media giants. It will be interesting to see whether the app survives the upcoming developments or whether it will be banned from the US altogether
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