TikTok facing BAN in US after vote passes demanding app be sold by ‘shady’ Chinese owners
TIKTOK is facing a "ban" in the US after the House Representatives passed a bill demanding that the app be sold by its Chinese owner.
Lawmakers are said to have acted on concerns that the social media platform's current ownership structure is a national security threat.
TikTok today urged senators to listen to their constituents before taking any action.
A spokesperson said: "This process was secret and the bill was jammed through for one reason: It's a ban.
"We are hopeful that the Senate will consider the facts, listen to their constituents, and realise the impact on the economy, seven million small businesses, and the 170 million Americans who use our service."
The bill, overwhelmingly passed by the US House of Representatives, would give TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance six months to divest the US assets of the short-video app - or face a ban.
The bill passed 352-65 with bipartisan support, but it faces a more uncertain path in the Senate.
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has not indicated how he plans to proceed.
The measure is the latest in a series of moves in Washington to respond to US national security concerns about China, from connected vehicles to advanced artificial intelligence chips to cranes at US ports.
No. 2 House Republican Steve Scalise said on X: "This is a critical national security issue. The Senate must take this up and pass it."
Lawmakers contend ByteDance is linked to the Chinese government, so it could demand access to the data of TikTok consumers in the US any time it wants.
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