
Possibility of U.S. TikTok Ban Increases with Recent Update
By Movieguide® Contributor
U.S. lawmakers’ quest to ban TikTok is moving closer to becoming a reality.
The bill would require TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to either sell the app or be banned in the United States if it refuses.
Movieguide® reported in March:
The House passed a bill Wednesday morning that could effectively ban TikTok in the United States.
The legislation, called the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, demands that TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, divest the platform. If it doesn’t within 180 days, the app would be banned in American app stores.
CNBC reports that it received bipartisan support, passing with a 352-65 vote.
“On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson issued a new proposal that would extend the sale requirement deadline to nine months, with a potential for a 90-day extension,” Variety reported.
The proposed legislation has also been added to another bill that seeks to aid foreign countries in economic relief.
NBC News reported, “The House plans to package a slightly revised TikTok bill with billions in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, all but guaranteeing the potential TikTok ban will become law.”
Commerce Committee Chairwoman Maria Cantwell spoke on the situation.
“I’m very happy that Speaker Johnson and House leaders incorporated my recommendation to extend the ByteDance divestment period from six months to a year. As I’ve said, extending the divestment period is necessary to ensure there is enough time for a new buyer to get a deal done. I support this updated legislation,” she said.
In a statement, TikTok claimed the legislation goes against freedom of speech and harms small businesses.
“It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill that would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate 7 million businesses, and shutter a platform that contributes $24 billion to the U.S. economy, annually,” the platform said.
However, Variety reported, “Many U.S. lawmakers on both sides of the aisle perceive TikTok to be a national security threat, on the theory that China’s communist regime could demand access to data on U.S. users or force TikTok to promote Chinese propaganda.”
Movieguide® previously reported on potential loopholes U.S. users might attempt if the ban is passed:
One workaround is to change the country’s app store that users access. By changing their location or visiting a different country and creating a new account, users can access apps not available within their home country.
It is also possible to download the app directly onto phones without going through the App Store or Google Play Store. However, this method comes with a risk of downloading malware along with the app.
Since half of the country uses TikTok frequently, experts believe tens of millions of Americans will pursue these workarounds if the bill banning TikTok passes.