House Republicans and Democrats are rallying behind legislation that may compel TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to divest or face a U.S. ban. The bill, co-authored by Chairman Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., aims to tackle national security concerns surrounding Chinese ownership of TikTok.
Lawmakers are expressing worries about TikTok’s susceptibility to potential exploitation by the Chinese government for data access and influence. TikTok denies the allegations.
Should the bill pass, ByteDance would be required to divest TikTok within 165 days, or major app stores like Apple and Google would be barred from offering the app or servicing ByteDance-controlled applications.
This legislation marks the first significant progress in nearly a year toward addressing TikTok’s ownership.
The White House stands behind the measure and urges Congress to enact comprehensive bipartisan privacy legislation.
An initial vote is anticipated on Thursday, March 7.
