US House serves TikTok with ultimatum over future
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(Credits: Eyestetix Studio)
A bill that might see a ban on popular social platform TikTok has been passed by the the US House of Representatives, which could possibly come into effect if the app’s Chinese parent company ByteDance doesn’t sell.
The ownership has been deemed a threat to national security, with American claiming a ban is likely if it doesn’t agree to step down. The new bill was met with a significant bipartisan majority, which will now go to the Senate and then Joe Biden to sign.
Once passed, ByteDance has six months to sell the company, otherwise there will be a nationwide ban on the app.
The US has been giving greater priority to the country’s national security and its relationship to China since Donald Trump was the president. During his run, he attempted to implement a ban on the platform alongside Chinese-owned WeChat.
The desire to control ownership of TikTok has increased as of late, however, particularly as the fear connected to Artificial Intelligence remains at an all-time-high.
There is a general consensus among those in the White House that this will greatly increase the country’s security while maintaining minimal disruption to both workers and users. A spokesperson for TikTok, however, showed less confidence, hoping that the Senate will adequately “consider the facts, listen to their constituents, and realise the impact on the economy,” per The Independent.
While it remains unclear what the wider implications of a US ban on the app would be, one thing that seems certain is the impact it will have on employment. TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew said the ban would give “more power” to other social media sites, claiming it would threaten thousands of American jobs.
Others cite America’s view of China as a major cause for concern, calling the ban on TikTok another demonstration of the country’s unrelenting issue with Chinese organisations. As explained by the Chinese foreign ministry, “this kind of bullying behaviour that cannot win in fair competition disrupts companies’ normal business activity.”
The platform has experienced significant turbulence recently with the licensing disagreement with Universal Music Group, and so too much disruption to its internal structure may have a significantly detrimental impact.
If TikTok does decide to go ahead and sell, it would also imply a long process of legalities and administration; something that would need to be considered to hit the target and remain accessible across the country.
This is a developing story.
