The popular social media platform TikTok is facing a potential ban within the United States as the House of Representatives recently passed a bill that risks immediate termination from the market.
The vote passed with overwhelming support from both sides of the aisle, with 352 out of 435 representatives voting in favor of the bill. The issue of national security, in particular, which collects user’s information, was a key factor in many’s decisions, said Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana.
“Communist China is America’s largest geopolitical foe and is using technology to undermine America’s economy and security actively,” Johnson said in a statement after the vote.
He later went on to warn that the Chinese government could use American data to spread “harmful” information.
Rep. Nick LaRota (R-NY) echoed this sentiment.
“It is a national security obligation to prevent America’s most strategic adversary from being so involved in our lives,” LaRota said.
One of the opposing votes came from Rep. Jim Himes, the ranking Democratic member of the House Intelligence Committee. His reasoning for opposing the vote was rooted in the principles of free speech and democracy that the United States is built on, and a potential ban would be no different than similar actions carried out by China itself.
“One of the key differences between us and [China] is the fact that they shut down newspapers, broadcast stations, and social media platforms,” Himes said. “We do not. We trust our citizens to be worthy of their democracy. We do not trust our government to decide what information they may or may not see.”
While the bill has passed through one of the two chambers of Congress, it still must pass through the Senate, which holds a slim Democratic majority.
“The Senate will review the legislation when it comes over from the House,” Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said, who remains non-commital to his current stance on the legislation.
President Joe Biden has vowed to sign the bill into law should it eventually reach his desk, but he risks losing a key voter demographic if he does so, especially in the midst of a critical election cycle from young voters, particularly millennials and Gen Z.
In a slew of posts made to the platform since the bill’s passing, TikTok creators have heavily criticized the decision, with a prominent message being that the U.S. government “has bigger issues to tackle” than a social media ban, citing a lack of affordable housing, student debt, the rising costs of health care and inflation as issues most valuable to them.
Ironically, the ban would also serve as a representation of similar actions around the globe, in particular with China. Several American-run social media companies, such as Instagram, Youtube, X and Facebook, have long been banned by the country due to their refusal to adhere to nationwide protocols regarding data collection and the type of content shared.
During the bill’s time in the House, Congress faced a vigorous lobbying campaign from TikTok. The app has launched a campaign urging users to call their representatives in Washington to express opposition to the bill, which the company has called a violation of the constitutional right to freedom of expression for its users.
With coverage of the ban now shifting to the Senate, where its exact fate is unknown, TikTok is hoping that senators will keep an open and informed mind when deciding whether a complete ban is necessary.
“We are hopeful that the Senate will consider the facts, listen to their constituents, and realize the impact on the economy, seven million small businesses and the 170 million Americans who use our service,” Alex Haurek, a spokesman for TikTok, said in a prepared statement.