The United States House of Representatives has passed another bill to ban TikTok in the country. The new bill has a similar core structure to the original bill passed last month. However, it is part of a larger group of foreign aid bills, making it harder for the Senate to hinder its progress. The previous bill still has to be adopted by the Senate.
Another TikTok ban bill has passed the US House of Representatives
TikTok is facing a nationwide ban in the US over security concerns. Last month, the House voted 352-65 in favor of a bill that could ban the popular video-based social media app nationwide. If signed into law, the bill would give TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance six months to either divest the U.S. arm of the platform or leave the country.
However, the bill has made little progress in the Senate. Lawmakers in the House of Lords have expressed mixed concerns about the proposed ban on TikTok. As noted by The Verge, Senate Commerce Committee Chairwoman Maria Cantwell (D-WA) has remained mysterious. This is despite President Joe Biden suggesting he is willing to sign the legislation.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives prepared another bill with similar conditions: ByteDance must either sell the American branch of TikTok or face a nationwide ban. The only notable difference is that the Chinese company will have a year to decide, double what the original bill provides. The initial divestment period will be nine months. If the company makes progress, Biden could extend it for another three months.
The new bill has been adopted by the House by a margin of 360 to 58. Interestingly, Cantwell liked the new terms. A few others who voted against the standalone bill last month have also shown support for the new bill. They believe that six months is too short a time for a global company to complete a complex divestiture process. A year might be enough for ByteDance to decide.
The Senate may soon vote on the updated bill
The latest bill to ban TikTok in the US is packaged with foreign aid bills “that seek to provide military aid to Ukraine and Israel and humanitarian aid to Gaza.” Because these funds must be completed urgently, the Senate must move the bills forward quickly. This also means that the TikTok bill will not remain in the Senate for long. However, the Senate does not necessarily have to pass it along with other bills in the package.
If they do, however, it may not be long before President Biden passes the bill into law. In the meantime, TikTok is not happy that the House of Representatives is cleverly bundling the bill with foreign aid bills. “It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian aid to push through yet another prohibition bill that would trample the freedom of expression of 170 million Americans,” the company said in a statement.
