The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bipartisan bill that could ban TikTok across the country if the extremely popular video-sharing app's Chinese parent company does not sell its stake.
The overwhelming support for the bill, which passed in a 352-65 vote with backing from 197 Republicans and 155 Democrats, represents the latest example of strong concern in Washington over a potential grave threat posed by China to U.S. national security.
The lawmakers fear that TikTok owner ByteDance could hand over to the Chinese government the personal information of some 170 million of the app's users in the United States, given that the Asian country's national security laws require companies to cooperate with intelligence gathering.
It remains unclear if the Democratic-controlled Senate will bring the measure up for a vote, and if so, whether it would be approved. If enacted, the legislation would prohibit TikTok in the United States unless the Chinese technology firm divested from the social media platform within about six months.
Senate lawmakers have suggested they will first carry out a thorough review of the bill, dubbed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.
President Joe Biden, a Democrat, has vowed to sign the bill if both chambers pass it, although his 2024 reelection campaign last month joined TikTok, which has become one of the world's most popular social media platforms, particularly among younger generations.
China has reacted harshly to the development, saying the United States has found no evidence of TikTok posing a national security threat and accusing Washington of disrupting normal business operations.
TikTok has also consistently denied the possibility of sharing user data with the Chinese Communist Party.
Related coverage:
FEATURE: Social media trends driving Britain's Japanese literature boom
FEATURE: Female DJs beating the odds in Japan's boys' club EDM scene
