According to a legislative proposal released on Tuesday, TikTok will be banned in the United States if China's ByteDance does not divest TikTok. This is the latest effort by members of the U.S. Congress to target the popular short** app.
The bill was introduced by Rep. Mike Gallagher, Republican of Wisconsin, who leads the House Select Committee on Chinese Issues, and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Illinois, the top Democrat on the committee. The bill was co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of more than 15 members of the House of Representatives.
The bill would give ByteDance more than five months to divest TikTok. If you don't, it will be illegal for the app store to make the app available.
Alex Haurek, a spokesman for TikTok, said the bill "is an outright ban on TikTok, no matter how much the sponsors try to cover it up." This legislation will trample on 1The First Amendment rights of 700 million Americans deprive 5 million small businesses of a platform to grow and create jobs. ”
In a statement on Tuesday, Gallagher said: "This is my message to TikTok: either break up with the CCP or lose American users. ”
"Our bipartisan legislation will push for the divestment of apps controlled by foreign adversaries as a way to protect U.S. social users to ensure that Americans are protected from the digital surveillance and influence actions of regimes that could personalize their personal data," Krishnamurti said. ”