On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives voted to pass a bill that could ban TikTok nationwide. The bill would force TikTok to be sold by its Chinese parent company or risk losing more than 170 million Americans. TikTok itself has released a statement saying the bill is an attack on its users’ constitutional right to free speech.
Several members of the Senate have issued statements on the bill, indicating a split in support. Former President Donald Trump, who previously supported the ban, has changed his stance to oppose it, saying a ban would only benefit Facebook.
House Votes Bill Against TikTok
MEGA
On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to approve a bill for a possible nationwide ban on TikTok. If it passes in the Senate, the bill would block TikTok from all US app stores unless it is sold by its current Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
This means that more than 170 million Americans who use the social media platform may lose access to TikTok. The vote in the House was 352 to 65, with 50 Democrats and 15 Republicans voting in opposition.
Various lawmakers supporting the bill have asserted that TikTok is a national security threat. They claim that the app allowed the Chinese government to use its intelligence laws against ByteDance and access the data of millions of app users in the US
The push to support the bill has received mixed reactions from various political parties. Democrats face pushback from young progressives who choose TikTok as one of their favorite social media platforms. China’s foreign ministry has even declared TikTok’s treatment an “act of bullying”.
TikTok Declares It An Attack On Its Users
MEGA
TikTok itself has responded to the bill, calling it an attack on its users’ constitutional right to free speech. The app has launched a call to action campaign and urges its users to ask their representatives in Washington to oppose the bill and protect their interests.
After Wednesday’s vote, TikTok released a statement saying it was turning its attention to the Senate, where the deadline will be clear.
The statement read, “This process is secret and the bill is stuck for one reason: it is a ban. We hope the Senate will consider the facts, listen to their constituents, and realize the impact on the economy, the 7 million small businesses, and the 170 million Americans who use our services.”
Several Members of the National Assembly have spoken about the Bill
MEGA
Various members of the Senate have issued statements about the bill and how it will proceed through the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer remained neutral in his remarks on the next steps in the Senate.
He said, “The Senate will review the law when it comes from the House.”
Mark Warner, Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Marco Rubio, the top Republican and Florida representative, have shown their support for the House bill. Their joint statement read, “We are united in our concern about the national security threat posed by TikTok – a platform with enormous power to influence and divide Americans whose parent company ByteDance remains legally required to do the bidding of the Chinese Communist Party.”
Donald Trump Now Opposes Ban
MEGA
Another major political figure in the US is against a possible ban on TikTok: former President Donald Trump. He previously supported the ban bill during his presidency but changed his stance in a recent post to his Truth Social app. Trump argued that if TikTok was actually banned, Facebook would benefit significantly.
Trump lashed out at Facebook and declared that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is the “Enemy of the People.” During the interview, Trump said a possible ban was a “tough decision,” but any benefit to Facebook was unacceptable because the app was “very bad for our country.”
Trump agreed that he considers TikTok a national security threat to the US He said, “You have that problem with Facebook and a lot of other companies too. There’s, you know, a lot of good, and there’s a lot of bad with TikTok.”
Social Media Users Criticize The House’s Action To Ban TikTok
The House of Representatives has just passed a bill that could ban TikTok.
Not raising the minimum wage. Not lowering the cost of health care. Not lowering the cost of housing. Not lowering the cost of child care.
Tick tock.
— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) March 13, 2024
The House’s vote to ban TikTok has caused a stir on social media with people using various platforms to share their reactions to the ban.
One person wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Dewan Rakyat just passed a bill that could ban TikTok. Not raising the minimum wage. Does not reduce health care costs. Does not lower the cost of housing. Does not lower childcare costs. Tick tock.”
Another individual said, “Teachers are underpaid, 0 gun laws to keep people safer, women’s rights are being questioned, the LGBTQ+ community is constantly under attack…..but they managed to vote to ban TikTok.”
A third person stated, “The fact that they won’t even try and pass a real American data privacy bill that protects user data and instead try to ban apps that aren’t based in America is proof that this banning of TikTok was never really about protecting the people.”
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
