After weeks of intense debate, the US House of Representatives is set to vote on the TikTok ‘ban’ bill, which would force the social media giant to cut ties with its Chinese owner or face a ban in the United States. The US House is expected to vote on the ban at 10am on Wednesday (7:30pm IST).
The legislation is the biggest threat yet to the video-sharing app, which has surged to huge popularity across the world all while causing intense nervousness amongst governments and security officials about its Chinese ownership and its potential subservience to the Communist Party in Beijing.
While many oppose the bill, it is predicted that the legislation will be passed by the US House with an overwhelming majority despite the deep political divide in Washington.
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The White House further said in an official statement that President Joe Biden will sign the bill, known officially as the "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act," into law if it came to his desk.
TikTok ban in US: All you need to know
House Republican Mike Gallagher and House Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi are the co-sponsors of the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” bill, which can potentially ban TikTok in the United States.
{{/usCountry}}House Republican Mike Gallagher and House Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi are the co-sponsors of the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” bill, which can potentially ban TikTok in the United States.
{{/usCountry}}The measure, which passed unanimously through a committee last week, would require TikTok's parent company ByteDance to sell the app within 180 days or see it barred from the Apple and Google app stores in the United States.
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The TikTok ban bill can also give power to the president to designate other applications to be a national security threat if under the control of a country considered adversarial to the US.
Former US President Donald Trump, who previously endorsed the bill, turned around from his stance and said that a ban on TikTok would strengthen Meta, the owner of Instagram and Facebook, which he called an "enemy of the people."
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The Trump administration had attempted to take control of TikTok from its Chinese parent company, but the action was blocked by the US courts. Multiple other attempts have also been made in the past to wrest control or ban the app in US states, but federal courts have blocked the move.
(With inputs from AFP)