The fate of TikTok, which is used by about 170 million Americans, has become a major issue in Washington, where lawmakers have complained that their offices are flooded with calls from TikTok users opposing the legislation.
Following India’s anti-China strategy, the US has joined the league in banning Chinese apps. Announcing the ban on TikTok, the Senate unanimously passed the “Protecting Americans from Apps Controlled by Foreign Adversaries Act”. 352 lawmakers supported the bill to ban TikTok, while in the US House of Representatives, only 65 members voted against the ban.
This is certainly a major setback for the video sharing app, as more than 170 million American users use TikTok.
Reacting to the US government’s serious decision, TikTok’s Vice President of Public Policy Michael Beckerman said:
“This latest legislation being rushed through at unprecedented speed without even the benefit of a public hearing, poses serious Constitutional concerns.”
The bipartisan sponsors, Representative Mike Gallagher of the Republican Party and Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi of the Democratic Party, backed by the White House, say the proposed legislation is not a ban on TikTok, provided the company cuts ties with ByteDance.
China issued a warning on Wednesday, warning that such action would have repercussions for the US. Wang Wenbin, a foreign ministry spokesman, criticised the move as “bullying behaviour”, stressing that despite the lack of evidence that TikTok poses a threat to US national security, the US continues to put pressure on the platform.
Former President Donald Trump came out against the app’s ban. He said in a post on Truth Social:
“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!”
Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has become more open to the app, Tucker Carlson has joined the platform, and Elon Musk, who recently met with Trump, agreed with Trump’s post in defence of TikTok.
