The US is increasing its pace towards the popular Chinese short video app TikTok. The House of Representatives gave the Chinese an ultimatum: if the service remains the property of the Chinese company Bytedance, TikTok can be banned from the American app stores.
A bill was approved that would allow a nine-month deadline for sales. US President Joe Biden can extend this for another three months.
The new TikTok design is part of a multi-part package in the U.S. House of Representatives that combines several Republican priorities and also aims to allow new aid for Ukraine, which is under attack by Russia. It is therefore certain that the draft will now pass the Senate, in which US President Joe Biden’s Democrats have a majority. Biden had made clear in the past that he would sign a corresponding TikTok bill.
First attempt stalled in the Senate
TikTok is the only internationally successful online platform that does not originate from the US. ByteDance is seen by all parties in the US as a Chinese company that must bow to the will of the Chinese Communist Party. The US House of Representatives already approved a similar bill in March, which provides for a slightly shorter deadline for the sale. This is currently fixed in the Senate.
TikTok puts Biden in a dilemma
The law puts Biden’s Democrats in a dilemma: on the one hand, the president wants to take a tough position on China, and on the other hand, the app is popular among young users, whose votes he needs for re-election in November. Biden’s campaign team only opened a TikTok account this year. Extending the deadline for an ownership transfer at TikTok would at least push the post-presidential election showdown to early November.
The platform claims to have 170 million users in the US. During his term as US president, Donald Trump tried to force a sale of TikTok’s US operations to US investors, under threat of a ban.
Trump: “TikTok is an important counterbalance to Facebook”
But the plan failed mainly because US courts suspected that the plans for a TikTok ban would violate the freedom of expression enshrined in the US Constitution. Trump has now backed away from calls for a ban. TikTok is an important counterbalance to Facebook, which he sees as an “enemy of the people,” Trump said in an interview.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
