The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill on Wednesday that may put an end to the use of TikTok in the United States.
The decision received support from both sides, with 352 in favor and 65 against. Some lawmakers were worried that the data collected by TikTok could end up with the Chinese Communist Party. 30 democrats and half as many Republicans voted against the bill's passage.
The bill would require the Chinese company ByteDance to sell off its stake in the social media company within 165 days or be removed from U.S. app stores. The short video service is popular among young social media users and currently has over 150 million U.S. users.
U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers stated, “We have given TikTok a clear choice: Separate from your parent company ByteDance, which is owned by the CCP, and continue to operate in the United States, or align with the CCP and deal with the consequences. The decision is up to TikTok.”
The future of the bill in the U.S. Senate is uncertain, but President Joe Biden has indicated that he would sign it into law if it reaches his desk. This is despite the fact that Biden's campaign recently launched its own TikTok account in an attempt to connect with young voters.
Former President Donald Trump tried to ban TikTok during his time in office, but was blocked by the courts.
This is an ongoing story and will be updated. Herald wire service contributed.
