WASHINGTON — A bill that could effectively ban TikTok passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday. It's named the "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act," and it passed 352-65, with one member of the House voting present.
If signed into law, the bill would require ByteDance to sell off the social media platform within 180 days. Otherwise, the bill would make it illegal for app stores to allow users to download TikTok. The company behind TikTok has long denied that the app could be used as a tool by the Chinese government and said it would not provide information about U.S. users if Chinese authorities ask for it.
Some lawmakers have contended that TikTok is beholden to the Chinese government and said the government could demand access to user data whenever it wants. ByteDance has denied these allegations several times in the past. The Associated Press also said the U.S. government has not provided evidence that TikTok shared information with Chinese authorities.
In 2020, former President Donald Trump also tried to ban TikTok with an executive order, which was later blocked by courts after TikTok sued. President Joe Biden has signaled that if the bill passes the Senate and heads to his desk, he will sign it.
Almost the entire Tennessee delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the ban, except for Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R - TN) and Rep. Andrew Ogles (R-TN), who did not vote. In April 2023, Gov. Bill Lee also signed a bill into state law that bans TikTok from being used on college networks.
This week, TikTok content creators also flew into Washington to lobby lawmakers against the bill. Many said a ban on the app would disrupt their lives and businesses, according to AP. The app is used by more than 170 million people.
Statements from some of the representatives from Tennessee who voted to pass the bill are available below.
Rep. Tim Burchett (R)
"I voted against allowing the Chinese Communist Party to control an enormous information mining source in the United States. This isn’t a bill to ban TikTok, it just requires TikTok to get out from under the Chinese government’s thumb.”
Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R)
“TikTok is nothing more than a tool used by the Chinese Communist Party to spy on innocent Americans, is a direct threat to our sovereignty and national security. Today, I voted to protect Americans and their data from our adversaries, like China, by requiring TikTok’s CCP-controlled parent company to divest in order to continue accessing the American market.”