JAKARTA - The US House of Representatives' Foreign Relations Committee has authorized President Joe Biden to ban the TikTok social media application owned by the Chinese company, ByteDance. This ban will be the widest US restrictions on any social media app.
Republican lawmakers supported the bill with a vote of 24 to 16, while Democrats opposed it because it was deemed too hasty and needed further consultation with experts.
The bill powers Biden to ban any transactions with TikTok, which in turn could prevent anyone in the US from accessing or downloading apps on their phones. The bill will also require Biden to impose a ban on any entity that "may" transfer sensitive personal data to entities affected by China.
TikTok has been in the spotlight in recent weeks over concerns that user data could end up in the hands of the Chinese government, which could undermine Western security interests. The US government itself has given government agencies 30 days to ensure that TikTok is not on federal devices and systems.
However, this bill still has to go through several stages and face significant obstacles before it can become a law. The bill must be approved by all members of the US House of Representatives and the US Senate, which are currently controlled by the Democratic Party, before it can be approved by Biden.
A TikTok spokesperson said the US ban on TikTok would be a ban on American cultural exports and values to billions of people using their services around the world. Meanwhile, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said it had concerns about American data related to TikTok.
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