An overwhelming majority of the U.S. House of Representatives voted in favour of legislation that would force an ultimatum on TikTok’s parent company, which is partly Chinese owned, to sell within a year or face an outright ban.

Washington

**U.S. Closer to Potential TikTok Ban after House Vote**

In a significant development within the United States legislative framework, the House of Representatives has voted in favor of legislation that could lead to a potential ban on TikTok. This legislation is part of a broader foreign aid bill and mandates that ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok which has partial Chinese ownership, must sell its interests within a year or face a complete ban. The move is largely driven by concerns over national security, with legislators highlighting fears that user data could be accessed by the Chinese government.

Lawmakers are not only worried about data privacy issues but also about the control ByteDance has over the TikTok algorithm, which potentially allows for influence over the content displayed and recommended on the app. Despite these concerns, TikTok's CEO has stated that ByteDance is not acting on behalf of China or any other nation and argues that a ban on the app would infringe on users' rights to free speech.

The controversy around TikTok has stirred reactions among its user base, with many expressing fear over the loss of the app which they deem highly significant in the digital era. Content creators, in particular, are concerned about the possibility of lost revenue and are exploring alternative platforms to maintain their follower base should a ban come into effect. It's noteworthy that Canada had previously banned TikTok on all government-issued phones, and a potential U.S. ban could reignite discussions about the app's status in Canada.

Before any ban is implemented, the proposed legislation must be approved by the Senate and then signed into law by President Joe Biden, who has indicated his willingness to do so. This sets a ticking clock for ByteDance to decide on its next course of action regarding its ownership of TikTok.



U.S. closer to potential TikTok ban after House vote

With an overwhelming majority, the US House of Representatives brought a potential ban on TikTok one step closer. Part of a sweeping foreign aid bill, the legislation would hand an ultimatum to the app's parent company ByteDance which is partly Chinese-owned, sell within a year or face an outright ban. At risk, lawmakers say, is US national security. They have concerns that US data could be accessed by the Chinese government. There are other fears given that the TikTok algorithm is controlled by ByteDance. In theory, the Chinese government could influence content being how it's displayed or recommended. But TikTok's CEO says ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country and a ban would trample the free speech rights of its users. Users who aren't happy. They're trying to ban the most popular app in the world. I don't recognize how insidious this is. It is definitely scary. For some, a ban could spell lost revenue. I think all of us right now are kind of trying to pick up more on Instagram and other platforms too, just in case. Like, we hope our followers obviously follow us everywhere but that doesn't happen all the time. In Canada, TikTok was banned last year from all government-issued phones. As for an all-out ban? I don't think right now that there's going to be a ban north of the border. But if it does get banned in the United States and actually gets pulled from the app store, if it does reach that, I think the conversations would definitely be restarted up here. The US bill still has to make its way to the Senate and then be signed by US President Joe Biden. Something he says he'll do. Then the deadline will be on for TikTok to decide what it does next. Sarah Levitt, CBC News, Montreal.

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