In recent developments, Republican leader Mitch McConnell in the Senate has called for the passage of a bill that would require TikTok to cut ties with its parent company in China or face a ban in the US. According to McConnell, forcing entities under Chinese influence to divest from TikTok aligns with established constitutional precedent and will help combat intimidation, especially as it pertains to American children’s safety. He referred to TikTok as a major strategic opponent threatening US security on American soil.
This move comes after the US House of Representatives approved a bill giving ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company in China, six months to divest all capital from the application within the US. Failure to comply would result in a ban. However, specific details about the bill and its next steps have not been disclosed yet.
Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell expressed plans to meet with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner to discuss the bill and determine the next steps. Although Schumer hinted at progress towards TikTok legislation, no specific details were disclosed. Cantwell emphasized the importance of preventing foreign entities from harming American citizens through the development of effective tools.
The fate of TikTok has sparked significant controversy in Washington, with lawmakers backing the bill while most users oppose it. TikTok argued that a ban would infringe upon the First Amendment rights of 170 million Americans. The Biden administration and numerous lawmakers have raised concerns about TikTok’s potential national security risk, as China could compel the company to share American user data. Conversely, TikTok maintains that it has never and will never disseminate this information and has invested over $1.5 billion in safeguarding and storing US users’ data.
