TikTok faces US ban if ByteDance fails to sell app

[midian182]

What just happened? The enormously popular TikTok is once again facing a ban in the US if owner ByteDance fails to sell off the short-form-video app. A group of lawmakers has announced a bill that would force ByteDance to divest TikTok within about five months should it pass, otherwise, the app will be blocked from app stores and web hosting platforms in the US.

The "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act," introduced by Republican chair of the House China committee Mike Gallagher, Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), and 17 lawmakers, defines TikTok as being controlled by a foreign adversary and a threat to national security.

Should the bill pass, ByteDance would have 165 days to divest TikTok to avoid the app being banned. "This is my message to TikTok: break up with the Chinese Communist Party or lose access to your American users," said Gallagher.

The bill would also require TikTok and other apps to provide users with a copy of their data in a format that can be imported into competing apps. Furthermore, it would pave the way for bans on other "foreign adversary-controlled" apps that Biden deems to be a national security threats.

"This bill is an outright ban of TikTok, no matter how much the authors try to disguise it," a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement. "This legislation will trample the First Amendment rights of 170 million Americans and deprive 5 million small businesses of a platform they rely on to grow and create jobs."

TikTok's alleged ties with Beijing have led to the app being banned by government agencies, not just in the US but also in other countries.

There have been several previous attempts to implement a national US ban on TikTok, none of which succeeded. Former President Trump also tried to force ByteDance to sell TikTok to a US company in 2020 but it came to nothing. President Biden attempted the same thing last year, while Montana was set to introduce its own ban, but a judge blocked the bill on the grounds that it violated the free speech rights of users.

The free speech argument is also being put forward by the American Civil Liberties Union. The group said in a statement that "Just because the bill sponsors claim that banning TikTok isn't about suppressing speech, there's no denying that it would do just that."

Despite concerns about Chinese spying and all the talk of bans, TikTok was found to be the fastest-growing social media platform in the US in January, though YouTube remains the most popular.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/102154-tiktok-faces-us-ban-if-bytedance-fails-sell.html

 

[Theinsanegamer]

US government STILL assmad the Chinese can make a more addictive social media platform. It’s no worse the Facebook, twitter, or any other site. It’s just out of reach of the Five eyes, therefore it is EVIL.

 

[gabelogan1324]

I like this move.

 

[ExReey]

How can the banning of one single app be seen as suppressing free speech?

 

[Theinsanegamer]

How can the banning of one single app be seen as suppressing free speech?

Because you have now established precedent that an app that doesnt conform to the will of the government can be shut down regardless of if it has broken a single law or not. All they have to claim is you are acting in the interest of a foreign power and BOOM! your entire infrastructure is now null and void, and you are under arrest.

If you dont understand why that is dangerous, you probably think the "democratic prople's republic of north korea" is in fact a democratic republic.

 

[VariableSpike]

While I am not a fan of China data mining and stealing info / statistics no questions asked whatsoever and using it for their nonsense in their land of "shut up about what we do or be ostracised and shamed", as someone outside the US, its very ironic to see US lawmwakers going on about "protecting data" when they happily dig through other people's data 24/7, its' just bad when China does it apparently...

 

[NumberNine]

Everything is lobbied. You, as an individual, are not important enough to afford congressional representation in modern society unless you own a sizable company. No matter who you vote for, they are bought and paid for, wholly owned by corporate interests. Never forget this, it is reality no matter which team you think represents you. All of this is happening miles above your head.

The morals and messaging are completely flexible for almost every politician, but the financing is not.

 

[hahahanoobs]

While I am not a fan of China data mining and stealing info / statistics no questions asked whatsoever and using it for their nonsense in their land of "shut up about what we do or be ostracised and shamed", as someone outside the US, its very ironic to see US lawmwakers going on about "protecting data" when they happily dig through other people's data 24/7, its' just bad when China does it apparently...

One side can't be worse than the other apparently. Bad is bad. Noted.

 

[YouShallNotPass]

You blocked my apps for years. I am blocking your apps back. Very understandable. It's just karma.

 

[toooooot]

I am generally against banning media platforms.
But since China pretty much does not anything like that in,
they deserve the same treatment.

 

[VaRmeNsI]

It's not for the government to tell me what I can have.

 

[BuckarooBonzaii]

In the past no Country wanted to touch the issue of internet/Cyber Sovereignty until China and Russia started to censor the internet in their Country. Now if the U.S. follows through with TiKTok then others may just follow since the big three are doing it. Two words that gets bills passed "National Security".

 

[Sir Sparkles]

Everyone knows China is best friends with America and would never steal their data or secrets, they have never spied on America on every level before, there's no reason to suspect that the Chinese Communist Party profiling huge percentages of the country's population and having control over their social media feed would not be in the US national interest.

Right? RIGHT!?!?