US lawmakers seek to force China’s ByteDance to divest TikTok or face ban
The bill would give the US president new powers to designate apps of concern and face bans or restrictions absent divestiture.
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Concerns about Chinese-owned TikTok last year sparked efforts in Congress to boost powers to address the popular short video sharing app or potentially ban it, but those prior bills have stalled.
The White House backed legislation sponsored by Senator Mark Warner and more than two dozen other senators introduced last year to give the administration new powers to ban TikTok and other foreign-based technologies if they pose national security threats.
The US Treasury-led Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) in March 2023 demanded that TikTok’s Chinese owners sell their shares, or face the possibility of the app being banned, but the administration has taken no action.
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The new bill is aimed at bolstering the legal authority to address TikTok concerns.
Biden’s predecessor, Republican Donald Trump, tried to ban TikTok in 2020 but was blocked by US courts.
Other Chinese non-social media apps, such as those run by retailers Shein and Temu, would not be covered under the bill, aides said.