A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers is set to introduce legislation on Tuesday aimed at addressing national security concerns surrounding the Chinese-owned short video app TikTok. According to congressional aides, the proposed bill would give ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, approximately six months to divest its popular platform or risk facing a ban in the United States.
Led by Representative Mike Gallagher, chair of the House select China committee, and Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, the top Democrat on the committee, the legislation has garnered support from more than a dozen other lawmakers. The primary objective of the bill is to mitigate potential risks posed by Chinese ownership of TikTok, which boasts over 170 million users in the United States alone, reported Reuters.
Under the proposed legislation, ByteDance would be granted 165 days to divest TikTok. Failure to comply would render it unlawful for major app stores operated by tech giants like Apple and Google to offer TikTok or provide web hosting services to ByteDance-controlled applications.
Moreover, the bill would empower the president with new authority to designate apps deemed as security threats and impose bans or restrictions if divestiture does not occur.
Related: TikTok Updates Data Usage Regulations To Fit EU Laws
This move comes in response to mounting concerns over the security implications of TikTok’s ownership by a Chinese company. Efforts to address these concerns have gained momentum in Congress, with previous bills aimed at regulating or potentially banning TikTok stalling in legislative proceedings.
Last year, the White House expressed support for legislation sponsored by Senator Mark Warner and backed by over two dozen senators. The proposed legislation sought to provide the administration with enhanced powers to ban TikTok and other foreign-based technologies if they were deemed to pose national security threats.
With bipartisan backing, the latest legislative effort signals a renewed push to address the security risks associated with popular apps owned by foreign entities. As the debate unfolds in Congress, the fate of TikTok in the United States hangs in the balance, awaiting legislative action to determine its future.
Source: Reuters
Featured News
Uruguayan Antitrust Scrutiny Puts Major Meatpacking Deal Between Marfrig and Minerva on Hold
May 19, 2024 by
CPI
Alaska Airlines Seeks Dismissal of Consumer Lawsuit Over $1.9 Billion Hawaiian Airlines Buy
May 19, 2024 by
CPI
Idaho Attorney General Orders Split of Kootenai Health and Syringa Hospital
May 19, 2024 by
CPI
Court Rejects T-Mobile’s Appeal Bid in Antitrust Case Over Sprint Merger
May 19, 2024 by
CPI
Google Requests Judge, Not Jury, to Decide on Antitrust Case
May 19, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Ecosystems
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Mapping Antitrust onto Digital Ecosystems
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Ecosystems and Competition Law: A Law and Political Economy Approach
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Ecosystem Theories of Harm: What is Beyond the Buzzword?
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Open Ecosystems: Benefits, Challenges, and Implications for Antitrust
May 9, 2024 by
CPI