TikTok Ban: U.S. House to Vote on Bill Amid Trump Resistance – Why the Shift?

Digital marketing has gained traction over the past few years with multiple applications and tools helping myriads of organisations globally in their business operations. TikTok is among the top social media applications, with millions of active users worldwide, promoting and watching content in the form of short videos. 

Unlike other social media platforms, such as Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and so on, TikTok has faced persistent backlash from global authorities due to its origin in a Chinese company, ByteDance. The American senators and legislators have passed a bill in the House of Representatives, pursuing the lawmakers for the TikTok ban in the U.S. 

The TikTok ban has created a fuss in the global ecosystem for quite a long time when the U.S. representatives accused ByteDance of being controlled by the Chinese communist authorities. The former U.S. president, Donald Trump, has opposed the TikTok Ban bill due to many benefits that TikTok offers users worldwide. 

U.S. House Voted for TikTok Ban

On Wednesday, 13th March 2024, the House of Representatives passed a bill with a huge majority, offering China-based ByteDance’s TikTok to either sell the U.S. TikTok to the country or face a countrywide ban on the social media application. 

The U.S. has already stopped government organisations and officials from using TikTok, but the nationwide TikTok ban will affect the social media user count in the country to a massive extent. A survey in May 2023 suggests that around 76 per cent of U.S. citizens aged between 18 and 24 years used TikTok regularly. 

Given the widespread use of social media platforms, banning them completely will cause turmoil in the financial and social landscapes. It will not only compel enterprises to go against the passed bill of the House but also make citizens, free-speech advocates, and content creators question the newly proposed measure. 

Also Read: ByteDance’s Nuverse: Navigating the Turbulent Waters of Gaming Industry Restructuring

Why Does the U.S. Want a TikTok Ban?

American lawmakers have demanded a nationwide TikTok ban for multiple reasons. Since TikTok is the product of ByteDance, which is a Chinese tech organisation, it is assumed that it offers users data to the Chinese authorities, making the offence of data theft that is similar to how Morris II AI Worm can steal your data when you’re using ChatGPT and Gemini. The U.S. authorities also assume that China may use the data for rigging the coming November election. 

The Chairman of the House Select Committee on China, Mike Gallagher, said that classified and unclassified national security evaluations of TikTok suggest that it is a threat. Therefore, they proposed a bill that demands the separation of the social media app from the parent organisation, ByteDance. 

He maintains that if the company sells TikTok to the U.S. authorities, it will continue offering improved user experience without compromising national security. However, the parent company, ByteDance, has denied the offer, which reflects the future of TikTok being nearly over in the U.S. The bill is yet to go through the Senate and the President of the U.S. before it bears any fruit. 

China About the U.S. Bill on TikTok

Before the presentation of the bill in the House of Representatives, multiple members of the House talked to the media about the bill. Some members have praised the measure, showing their inclination towards voting for it. Many have proposed that the measure will cause turmoil between the two giant global economies, the U.S. and China. 

Though the proposed bill passed with a huge majority of 352-65, it will go through the Senate before its implementation. The current U.S. President, Joe Biden, is already praising the bill due to its alleged role in the upcoming electoral process. However, it has ignited a spark among Chinese officials, calling it an act of bullying and stealing citizens’ right to free speech. 

Wang Wenbin, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, talked to the media about the TikTok troubles and called America a weak player in the global market. He denied the accusations of the U.S. about China’s data theft via ByteDance and TikTok due to a lack of evidence. However, this bill will sabotage the global trade order and investors’ confidence. 

Related: Digital Markets Act 101: What You Need to Know Right Now

Donald Trump’s Resistance to the Bill

The former U.S. president, Donald Trump, has discussed the TikTok ban and its implications in the country. Earlier, Trump was a robust candidate who wanted to stop TikTok from operations in the U.S. While talking to a media person, Trump said that he could have banned TikTok, but it is a challenging decision to make due to the large quantity of U.S. users on the platform. 

Before going after TikTok, it is essential to reassess the impact of other social media platforms, such as Facebook and YouTube, on the country’s national security. The former president maintains that if the government bans TikTok, it will pave the way for Meta to expand their operations in the country. He called Meta a bigger enemy to national security. 

TikTok Ban Signals Taking Away the Rights to Free Expression

@repbowman Banning TikTok means silencing our young people, and that is unacceptable. #JamaalBowman #TikTokBan ♬ Trendsetter – Connor Price & Haviah Mighty

TikTok is one of the unluckiest social media platforms that have fallen prey to back-to-back bans and restrictions in multiple world regions. From Europe to Australia, Asia, and Africa, many countries have banned TikTok temporarily due to several reasons. 

The U.S. wants the TikTok ban or its separation from its parent company, ByteDance, due to the Chinese influence on the social media platform. However, it will offer a tough time for the country with chances of nationwide protests from free-speech advocates and content creators. Banning one of the largest social media ecosystems means silencing the youth to express themselves openly and independently. 

Moreover, it will also cause a problem for the current president in the coming 2024 elections that was suspected since content creators and the youth will not like this action. Despite the resistance from Donald Trump, the bill passed with a majority in the House, awaiting the procedure in the U.S. Senate before it is officially implemented in the country.