There has been ongoing discussion in Congress regarding a bill that would require ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, to divest from the social media app within 180 days or risk being banned in the US. The main concern is ByteDance’s ties to the Chinese government and the potential for sensitive user data collected by TikTok to be funneled to China.
Recent reports have highlighted this concern even further, as officials from the Chinese Embassy have lobbied against the bill. Despite TikTok’s reassurances that American user data is safe, critics, including former employees, remain wary. The large user base of TikTok in the US, with over 100 million monthly users, only adds to these fears of possible election meddling in 2024.
TikTok has actively fought against the proposed legislation, urging its users to contact their legislators to vote against it. Even the CEO of TikTok traveled to Washington D.C. to join in the lobbying efforts against the bill. However, the Chinese Embassy’s involvement in pressuring against the bill only adds to the frustration of members of Congress dealing with this issue.
President Joe Biden has indicated that he would sign the bill if it reaches his desk despite concerns about its impact on his reelection bid. Despite this ongoing debate surrounding TikTok and its ties to China continues to be a significant point of contention in Congress.
