WASHINGTON – The House approved a bill Wednesday that would force TikTok’s parent company to sell the juggernaut social media app or face a practical ban in the U.S.
President Joe Biden has said he would sign it if it makes it to his desk, but the legislation’s fate is uncertain in the Senate, where the bill has proved much more divisive. The bill cleared the House with strong bipartisan support, 352 to 65, with one member voting present.
The legislation’s proponents argue the app, immensely popular with teens and young people for its customized song and dance features on short clip videos, poses national security risks. TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, is based in Beijing and may expose American user data to Chinese government surveillance.
The FBI and the Federal Communications Commission have warned that the company could share sweeping user data, including browsing history, location and other identifiers, with Chinese authorities.