United States House of Representatives has decided to move forward with the legislation regarding the TikTok ban bill, in order for the company to address worries related to national securities in the platform.
(Photo : Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 23: TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on March 23, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Moving Forward
After Chief Executive Officer Shou Zi Chew testified before congress last Thursday, The Hill reported that the US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy stated that lawmakers would move forward with the proposed TikTok ban bill to address national security concerns from authorities.
During the hearing, McCarthy described Chew as dishonest regarding his statements about whether China has access to TikTok user data . "The House will be moving forward with legislation to protect Americans from the technological tentacles of the Chinese Communist Party," he added.
The legislation was initiated by lawmakers over the past few months, This would prohibit downloading and use of TikTok accounts in the United States. But as per the speaker, he would only support a nationwide ban on TikTok if there will be a bipartisan concern with lawmakers on risks from the internet.
A bipartisan concern is what is happening on TikTok, not only to its fans but also to all data of Americans. He stated there will be many ramifications regarding this, which will make the mass come together and work and see what the product comes out when it gets done.
The speaker also added that the Trump administration was right all along about its previous concerns regarding TikTok, noting that the circumstances today might be different if the previous administration handled this case.
Also Read: Unbelievable Highlights From TikTok Congress Hearing-Beating up on Big Tech?
ByteDance sold its stake in TikTok to a company based in the United States. Meanwhile, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, or AOC believes that the platform should not be banned but instead push more for strict data and privacy laws.
TikTok Ban in the US
Reuters reported that TikTok has been experiencing increasing calls to ban the platform or even to bipartisan legislation to give President Joe Biden's office legal authority to avoid a ban. As of the moment, several states in the country have already banned the app installed on devices owned by the government.
Chew appeared before a United States House Committee for almost five hours last March 23rd. He was believed "grilled" regarding national security and other concerns from the application that powers its manpower for the app to grow. He was naked if the app has spied on Americans with a request from the Chinese government.
Due to this, TikTok has decided to delete the US user data from its servers before 2023 ends, as confirmed by its CEO last Thursday.
Related Article: TikTok, CEO Gets Grilled in Congress Hearing About App's Ban In the US; COO Claims 'Xenophobia'
