The US is taking another big step towards banning TikTok β here’s what you need to know
A TikTok ban in the United States is closer than ever before, with the US House of Representatives passing the relevant legislation on Saturday β meaning it could become law within days.
As reported by Android Authority and others, the short-form video and social media app must cut ties with Chinese owner ByteDance within the next six months (with a possible three-month extension) if it wants to continue operating in the US.
If you want to catch up, the United States government is concerned about ByteDance’s ties to authorities in China β both in terms of the data that can be collected about users through TikTok and the kind of content that can emerge are being brought. eyeballs.
Technically, it’s TikTok’s ties to China that raise national security concerns, not the app itself. A ban would therefore be a last resort if TikTok cannot be placed in the hands of another company. The app won’t suddenly disappear next week, but the new law is intended to force a sale.
‘Delay in freedom of expression’
We’ve been here before β the possibility of a TikTok ban has been floating around since 2020 and the Trump presidency. However, it is now closer than ever: all that remains is Senate approval and a signature from Biden, both of which are expected to be formalities.
For his part, says TikTok a ban would βtrample the freedom of expressionβ of the app’s 170 million users in the US. A spokesperson pointed out that the app and its creators contribute around $24 billion (Β£19.4 billion / AU$37.4 billion) to the US economy.
ByteDance also refutes claims that it has to do what the Chinese government says. It has worked to store more of its data on US servers, and 60% of the company is currently owned by global investors.
It’s yet another reminder of the algorithms that now dominate our digital lives β and the way those algorithms are controlled, both domestically and internationally, has governments more concerned than ever. Read our full explanation of the TikTok ban for more information on what might happen next.