Next week, the United States House of Representatives will vote on a bill that could ultimately lead to TikTok being banned in the United States. Speaking to the press on Friday, President Biden voiced his support for the bill: “If they pass it, I’ll sign it.”
TikTok ban in the United States?
If the bill successfully makes it through the House, which looks increasingly likely, it would then move to the Senate. Should it successfully make it through the Senate, the legislation would land on President Biden’s desk.
In addition to today’s comment from President Biden, Punchbowl News has also reported on the Biden administration’s collaboration with lawmakers on this bill.
In a statement on this week’s news, a TikTok spokesperson said:
“This legislation has a predetermined outcome: a total ban of TikTok in the United States. The government is attempting to strip 170 million Americans of their Constitutional right to free expression. This will damage millions of businesses, deny artists an audience, and destroy the livelihoods of countless creators across the country.”
While ByteDance – TikTok’s China-linked parent company – says the outcome would be a “total ban of TikTok in the United States,” that’s not necessarily the case. The bill in question would require that ByteDance sell TikTok within 165 days of it being passed.
If ByteDance failed to do that, it would be illegal for Apple to offer TikTok in the App Store. Other app store operators, such as Google, would also be barred from offering the app. Apple and Google could be fined up to $5,000 per user of TikTok if they fail to comply.
For those keeping track at home, this is an election year in the United States. Donald Trump, the former president and front-runner for the Republican nomination this year, has voiced his opposition to this legislation.
In a post on social media, Trump said: “If you get rid of TikTok, Facebook and Zuckerschmuck will double their business. I don’t want Facebook, who cheated in the last Election, doing better. They are a true Enemy of the People!”
Trump supported a similar bill while he was president in 2020, and vowed to ban TikTok in the United States. Those efforts ultimately failed.
Speaking of the election, the Biden campaign joined TikTok … last month.
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