On Wednesday, March 13, the United States House of Representatives passed a bill that has the possibility of banning TikTok in a 352- 65 vote. The bill, if made into law, would force ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company to decide in 180 days to either separate itself from TikTok, or allow the app to be banned in the United States. The bipartisan bill, Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (H.R. 7521) passed through the U.S. Congress Committee on Energy and Commerce unanimously passed the bill in a 50-0 vote earlier this month.
President Joe Biden has stated that he would sign the bill if it were to pass in both chambers of Congress. While there exists a large amount of support for the bill on both sides of the aisle, there exists opposition to the bill.
As a way to sway representatives to oppose the bill, TikTok has started a grassroots lobbying effort urging users to contact their local representatives in Congress stating that such a ban “…will destroy millions of businesses, destroy the livelihoods of countless creators across the country, and deny artists an audience.” Isabel Avalos, a Sultana High School junior says,
“No, I dont think its gonna get banned, there’ve been a lot of threats in the past and none have gone through,” Isabel Avalos, a Sultana High School junior says.
Although this sentiment of uncertainty isn’t entirely shared, Tienna Dedman, a Sultana High School senior states “Yes. it [H.R. 7521] was just at the Senate the other day and passed the house of representatives”
It may take the senate a couple of weeks to decide whether this bill will become law, and the effects of the bill may be uncertain but it is critical to pay attention to this issue and how it may influence the upcoming election in November.
