Tik Tok blocked in the US? The bill was passed
The US House of Representatives has passed a bill that could potentially result in Tik Tok being banned in the country. The Senate will decide next week on the bill's fate. President Joe Biden's signature is almost certain.
The US House of Representatives on Saturday passed a bill that attacks the Chinese platform Tik Tok and may result in it being blocked in the US. The Senate will probably consider the bill next week, and President Joe Biden has already announced that he will sign it.
– This bill protects Americans, and especially American children, from the malicious influence of Chinese propaganda on the Tik Tok app. This app is a spy balloon on Americans' phones – argued the bill's creator, Michael McCaul from the Republican Party, quoted by The Guardian.
The bill is part of a foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
Tik Tok blocked in the USA?
The discussion on possibly blocking access to Tik Tok has been going on in the USA for several months. American politicians accuse the platform's creators of links with the Chinese authorities and fear that it may provide information about users to Beijing. A month ago, the House of Representatives adopted a bill under which TikTok will be banned in the US unless its owner (Chinese company ByteDance) transfers it to an entity that is not related to the authorities of the People's Republic of China. The disposal period was originally supposed to be six months, but it was decided to extend it to one year.
– As I have already said, extending the disposal period is necessary to give the new buyer enough time to finalize the transaction. I support this updated legislation – said Maria Cantwell, chairwoman of the Senate Commerce Committee.
Tik Tok comments
Representatives of the platform have repeatedly assured that they did not share data of US users with the Chinese government. Even before Saturday's vote, Tik Tok expressed its dissatisfaction with the bill on social media, emphasizing that it could result in the closure of the platform that “contributes $24 billion to the American economy annually.”
After yesterday's vote, Tik Tok issued the following comment: “It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian aid to once again push through a ban bill that would trample on the free speech rights of 170 million Americans.
