TikTok in the United States: the House of Representatives adopts a text threatening to ban the social network in the country

Le texte doit désormais être validé par le Sénat qui devrait voter la semaine prochaine. MAXPPP – Andre M. Chang

The House of Representatives adopted a text this Saturday, April 20, 2024 issuing an ultimatum to TikTok, which provides for the banning of the application in the United States, unless the social network cuts its ties with its parent company ByteDance, and more broadly with China.

The House of Representatives adopted a text this Saturday, April 20, 2024 issuing an ultimatum to TikTok, which provides for the banning of the application in the United States, unless the social network is not cutting its ties with its parent company ByteDance, and more broadly with China.

The video platform is accused by American officials of allowing Beijing to spy on and manipulate its 170 million users in the United States. This ban must now be validated by the Senate.

TikTok "would violate freedom of expression"

This text, which could result in a rare ban on access to the American market, must now be validated by the Senate which should vote next week. It passed by a vote of 360 to 58, with both Democrats and Republicans voting. President Joe Biden has already said he would sign the law. The Democratic president reiterated his "concern" about TikTok during an exchange with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping early April.

This proposal is part of a multi-pronged text that includes an aid plan for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan as well as these provisions regarding TikTok. Banning this platform "would violate the freedom of expression" of 170 million Americans, immediately protested the popular social network on Saturday.

In a press release, a spokesperson for the platform adds that the ban bill " would devastate 7 million’ businesses and would shut down a platform that contributes $24 billion per year to the American economy (and that it) is regrettable that the House of Representatives uses the guise of foreign aid and important humanitarian action to once again pass a ban bill."

A period of twelve months

If it comes into force, the text will force ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, to sell the application within twelve months, otherwise it would be excluded from TikTok's application stores ;Apple and Google in the United States. A similar text had already been adopted in mid-March by representatives, providing only a six-month period to find a buyer other than Chinese, but the bill then remained in parliamentary limbo.

Donald Trump's former US Treasury Secretary, ex-banker Steven Mnuchin, had even said he was interested in a buyout of TikTok from the  United States by bringing together a group of investors. But such a law could give rise to challenges in court.

In my opinion, TikTok should not be banned in the USA, even though such a ban may benefit the 𝕏 platform.

Doing so would be contrary to freedom of speech and expression. It is not what America stands for.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 19, 2024

In particular, it would give the American president the power to designate other applications as threats to national security if they are controlled by a country considered hostile to the United States. Elon Musk, the owner of ;.