US Lawmakers Propose Bill For ByteDance to Divest TikTok

A bipartisan group of 19 US lawmakers has proposed a bill that could compel Chinese tech giant ByteDance to divest its popular video-sharing platform, TikTok, within six months or face a ban.

The legislators expressed concerns about the potential risk of data from the app falling into the hands of the Chinese government, citing national security issues.

TikTok responded by labeling the bill as a disguised "outright ban" and argued that such legislation would infringe on the First Amendment rights of 170 million Americans and adversely impact 5 million small businesses that rely on the platform for growth and job creation.

The proposed legislation would grant ByteDance a 165-day window to divest; failure to do so would result in the app being blocked from app stores and web hosting platforms in the United States.

TikTok has consistently opposed divestment, contending that a change in ownership would not impose new restrictions on data usage.

Despite facing previous attempts by US lawmakers to impose restrictions on the app, including proposed legislation and an unsuccessful ban attempt by former President Donald Trump in 2020, TikTok remains one of the most popular apps in the US, particularly among younger demographics.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee has scheduled a consideration of the bill on Thursday, marking the latest effort by US lawmakers to address concerns surrounding TikTok's ownership and potential national security implications.