A House bill that would require the company to sell TikTok to its China-based owners or face an outright ban by the United States is fast-tracked for a vote this week. And the national security risks posed by the wildly popular video app are at the forefront of the fierce political debate over whether TikTok should be abolished. Law.
TikTok’s critics in Congress have been given new fodder ahead of a House vote expected Wednesday. After the bomb report The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) concluded that the Chinese Communist Party used the app to influence U.S. elections.
U.S. intelligence officials have found that TikTok is involved in “malicious influence operations,” adding that “accounts run by China’s propaganda arm were used by candidates of both political parties during the 2022 U.S. midterm elections.” reportedly targeted.
The Chinese Communist Party “could seek to somehow influence the 2024 U.S. election because it wants to eliminate critics of China and widen divisions in U.S. society,” the report said.
“Even if the Chinese government imposes limits on these activities, individuals not under the direct supervision of the Chinese government may attempt election influence activities that they perceive to be in line with Beijing’s goals.”
TikTok CEO Xu Chu is responding to Beijing-based ByteDance owners led by Chairman Zhang Yiming, but plans to face open-ended legal battles before considering a sale. The company considers this a last resort. reported by bloomberg This was revealed on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The bill, which would give TikTok’s parent company ByteDance six months to sell or be banned, is one of the most serious threats the app has faced and was voted on in an unprecedented 50-0 vote last week. It passed a House committee.
The DNI report added urgency to lawmakers who fear TikTok is a propaganda and espionage tool for the Chinese government.
President Biden has indicated he intends to sign the bill once it reaches his desk. Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise called it “an important national security bill.”
But President Trump, who pushed for a ban on TikTok during his only term in office, has now said he opposes the measure, surprising Republican China hawks. The 2024 Republican presidential front-runner acknowledged that he views TikTok as a national security threat, but argued that the ban would only benefit Instagram’s parent company, Meta.
President Trump told CNBC: “Facebook can grow without TikTok. I think Facebook is the enemy of the people.”
Trump’s reversal reportedly came after meeting with billionaire megadonor Jeff Yass, who owns a massive $33 billion stake in ByteDance. As The Post reported, sources said Yass was “bullying” lawmakers by threatening to withhold donations if they supported the bill.
Kellyanne Conway, a former Trump aide, has been lobbying on Capitol Hill on behalf of TikTok, reportedly meeting with lawmakers at least 10 times in recent months. Politico reported.
Admittedly, not all members of Congress are in favor of this bill. Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY) He described the bill as a “Trojan horse.” He argued that the bill contains language that gives the president “the authority to ban not just apps, but websites.”
Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of social media company
“If it were just about TikTok, you would just raise ‘foreign control’ as an issue, but that’s not the case.” Added by Musk.
Prominent progressive Democrats, including “Squad” members such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Cori Bush, have previously indicated they oppose banning TikTok.
The bill also faces hurdles in the Senate. Among the Republican critics of the bill is Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who said he was “absolutely opposed,” citing free speech. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he’s “definitely conflicted” about whether it’s the right solution to concerns about TikTok.
“A ban on TikTok is probably what’s needed to protect American data from China. But if we can find a way around it, that’s good too,” Graham told NBC’s “Meet He said this during an appearance on “The Press.”
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has not yet said whether he will bring the bill to the floor for a vote.
Elsewhere, TikTok is taking proactive steps to call the bill a de facto ban and encourage users to raise uncomfortable issues with lawmakers on its behalf. The Chinese government has previously vowed to block any forced sale of TikTok.
If the bill passes, TikTok is expected to become a hot target among the few large companies with the resources to acquire the company.
As The Post reported, there are rumors that bankers are already putting together a bid in case TikTok enters the market.
Experts have floated cloud computing giant Oracle, which nearly acquired TikTok the last time it faced a ban request, as a potential suitor. Big tech companies such as Meta, Microsoft, Apple, and Google also emerged as obvious candidates.
Former Activision Blizzard president Bobby Kotick reportedly approached ByteDance to express interest. The Wall Street Journal reported.
