WASHINGTON (AP) — House passed Wednesday invoice It would lead to a nationwide ban on the popular video app TikTok if its China-based owners do not sell their stake. Lawmakers acted on concerns that the company's current ownership structure was fraudulent. national security threat.
The bill passed by a vote of 352-65 and now heads to the Senate, where its prospects are uncertain.
TikTok is Over 170 million US usersis a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese technology company ByteDance Ltd.
Lawmakers say ByteDance is I am indebted to the Chinese government, may request access to the data of TikTok consumers in the United States at any time. The concerns stem from a series of Chinese national security laws that require organizations to assist in intelligence gathering.
“We gave TikTok a clear choice,” said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.). “It's a choice: separate from its parent company ByteDance, which is beholden to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party), and continue operating in the United States, or stand with the Chinese Communist Party and face the consequences. The choice is TikTok.”
Passing the bill in the House is just the first step. For the bill to become law, it must also be passed by the Senate, whose members have indicated they will overhaul it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said he would need to consult with relevant committee chairs to decide how to proceed with the bill.
AP Washington Correspondent Sagar Meghani reports that a bill that could lead to a ban on TikTok in the United States easily passed the House of Representatives, but its future path is unclear.
president joe biden He said he would do so if Congress passed the bill. Please sign.
The House vote is the latest example of escalating tensions between China and the U.S. By targeting TikTok, lawmakers are addressing what they see as a grave threat to U.S. national security. , while at the same time identifying a platform popular with millions of people, many of whom are still young and months before the election.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said in a video posted Wednesday night that the company has invested in keeping user data safe and protecting the TikTok platform from outside manipulation. . He said the bill, if passed, would give further powers to a small number of other social enterprises.
“We will never stop fighting and advocating for you. We will do everything in our power to protect this amazing platform you have built together, including enforcing our legal rights. We will continue to do so,” Chu said in a message to app users.
Ahead of the vote, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin accused the U.S. government of resorting to political measures if American companies fail to compete. He said the effort would disrupt normal business operations, undermine investor confidence and “ultimately backfire on the United States itself.”
Overall, 197 Republicans voted for the bill and 15 voted against it. On the Democratic side, there were 155 votes in favor and 50 votes against.
Some Republican lawmakers opposed to the bill argued that the U.S. should warn consumers when there are data privacy or propaganda concerns, but that the ultimate choice should be left to consumers.
“The answer to authoritarianism is not more authoritarianism,” said Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif. “The answer to CCP-style propaganda is not CCP-style repression. Let's slow down before we fail on this very steep and slippery slope.”
“We have a national security obligation to prevent America's most strategic adversaries from becoming deeply involved in our lives.”
Congressman Nick Larota, RN.Y.
Democrats also warned of the impact the ban would have on US users, including entrepreneurs and business owners. One of the no votes came from Rep. Jim Hymes, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.
“One of the main differences between us and those adversaries is the fact that they are shutting down newspapers, broadcast stations and social media platforms. We are not,” Himes said. Ta. “We believe our people deserve democracy. We don't trust the government to decide what information we can and cannot see.”
The day before the House vote, top national security officials from the Biden administration met privately with lawmakers to discuss TikTok and its national security implications. Lawmakers are balancing these safety concerns with a desire not to limit free speech online.
“What we've tried to do here is be very thoughtful about the need to force the sale of TikTok without giving the executive branch the power to regulate content or go after American companies,” said Congressman Mike Gallagher. We have to be very careful.” Author of the bill that came out of the press conference.
“What we heard in today's classified briefing was not unique to TikTok. It was happening on every social media platform.”
Rep. Sarah Jacobs, D-Calif.
TikTok has long denied the possibility of being used as a tool by the Chinese government. The company said it has never shared U.S. user data with Chinese authorities and would not do so if asked. To date, the US government has also provided no evidence that TikTok has shared such information with Chinese authorities.
Republican leaders moved quickly to introduce the bill after Gallagher and Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthy introduced it last week.House committee approved the bill It passed unanimously on a 50-0 vote, even though the office was flooded with calls from TikTok users asking for the initiative to be halted. Some offices even cut off the phones due to the onslaught. Supporters of the bill said the effort backfired.
“(This) provided members with a preview of how the platform can be weaponized to inject disinformation into our systems,” Gallagher said.
Lawmakers from both parties are keen to confront China on a variety of issues. The House of Representatives has established a special committee to focus on China-related issues. Schumer then directed committee chairs to begin working with Republicans on a bipartisan China competition bill.
Schumer is likely feeling pressure from within his own party to move forward with the TikTok bill. After the House vote, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner said, “We will work to get this bill passed by the Senate and signed into law.''
In a joint statement with Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, the top Republican on the Intelligence Committee, Warner said, “We stand by TikTok, a platform with tremendous power to influence and divide Americans.'' We are united in our concern for the national security threat posed.” Parent company ByteDance is still legally required to follow orders from the Chinese Communist Party. ”
“We will work to find a path forward that is constitutional and protects civil liberties,” said Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell, who chairs another committee with jurisdiction over the issue.
About 30 TikTok influencers and others who accompanied them spoke out against the bill at the Capitol on Wednesday. They chanted phrases such as “Keep TikTok” ahead of the vote. They also held placards that read, “TikTok has changed my life for the better” and “TikTok has helped me grow my business.”
Dan Salinger, a Sacramento, Calif.-based TikTok creator who attended, said he started creating content on the app purely out of boredom during the coronavirus pandemic. But since then, his account, which features videos about his life and his father, who suffers from dementia, has grown in popularity. Currently, he has 2 million followers on his app.
“I'm actually appalled for a number of reasons,” Salinger said. “The speed with which they are passing this bill does not allow enough time for the American people to voice their concerns and opinions.”
Former President Donald Trump opposes the House effort, but Vice President Mike Pence has urged Schumer to bring the House bill to a vote.
“There is no question that this app is Chinese spyware and that it is in the best interest of the American people to sell it to a non-foreign adversary,” Pence said in a letter to Schumer. Ta.
___
Associated Press staff writer Didi Tan contributed to this report.