TikTok is on the verge of facing a potential ban in the US as the House of Representatives has passed a bill requiring ByteDance, the platform’s owner, to sell the app.
The House voted 360 to 58 in favor of the divest-or-ban legislation, which is part of a US foreign policy package including military aid for Ukraine’s war efforts against Russia, as well as support for Taiwan and Israel.
The Senate is set to vote on the bill, which combines all these measures, and is expected to pass in the coming days. President Joe Biden has expressed his intention to sign the bill into law.
“Spy balloon in Americans’ phones”
US lawmakers have raised concerns about the collection of personal data of American citizens by the app potentially being shared with Chinese government agencies. Critics, including TikTok itself, argue that a ban would restrict freedom of speech.
Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican representative and the bill’s author, stated, “This bill protects Americans and especially America’s children from the malign influence of Chinese propaganda on the app TikTok.”
The Financial Times reports that ByteDance has 270 days to divest the app or face a ban, with a possibility of a three-month extension.
TikTok, with 150 million users in the US alone, is a crucial platform for user acquisition and marketing campaigns for apps and games. A ban would deprive marketers of access to a large audience through TikTok, leading to a shift in marketing spending to other platforms.
China bans social apps
While TikTok faces scrutiny in the US, China has imposed bans on popular messaging and social apps, including those from US companies. The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has been instructed to remove apps like WhatsApp, Thread, Signal, and Telegram from the App Store in China.
Apple stated that the app removals were mandated on national security grounds, without providing further details.
“We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree,” said an Apple spokesperson.
PocketGamer.biz recently explored the potential implications of a TikTok ban in the US for the games industry on their podcast, which you can listen to on Spotify here.
