The House is moving forward with a bill that could potentially ban TikTok despite opposition from former President Trump, who had previously led efforts against the popular app.
The “Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” is set for a vote this week and has gained bipartisan support, advancing unanimously out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
The bill would force TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to divest the app or face a ban in the U.S. It also lays out a process for banning other apps found to be controlled by U.S. adversaries. Supporters of the bill cite concerns about TikTok’s ties to the Chinese government and potential national security threats.
Trump, who had previously sought to ban TikTok during his presidency, has now flipped his stance, arguing that getting rid of the app would benefit Facebook.
He has criticized the bill, saying that it would lead to Facebook becoming more dominant and calling Facebook an “enemy of the people.”
Despite Trump’s opposition, supporters of the bill argue that it addresses legitimate national security concerns and is not an outright ban, as it gives ByteDance time to divest TikTok before facing a ban on U.S. app stores and web hosting services.
The bill is facing opposition from both sides of the aisle, with some Republicans and Democrats raising concerns about its potential impact on free speech and the power it gives the president to designate apps controlled by foreign adversaries.
The House is expected to vote on the bill this week, but its path forward in the Senate is unclear. Senator Mark Warner has expressed some concerns about the bill’s constitutionality but has said he will take a close look at it.
