US House votes to force TikTok owner to divest or face ban

Washington, March 13

The House on Wednesday passed a Bill that would lead to a nationwide ban of popular video app TikTok if its China-based owner doesn’t sell, as lawmakers acted on concerns that the company’s current ownership structure is a national security threat.

The Bill, passed by a vote of 352-65, now goes to the Senate, where its prospects are unclear.

TikTok, which has more than 150 million American users, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd.

The lawmakers contend that ByteDance is beholden to the Chinese government, which could demand access to the data of TikTok’s consumers in the US any time it wants. The worry stems from a set of Chinese national security laws that compel organisations to assist with intelligence gathering.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday that the Senate “will review the legislation when it comes over from the House”. — Agencies

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