That was quick. The House subcommittee gave their approval for a bill that would either force TikTok to divest or face a ban in the United States. And now, after a vote in the House itself, the bill has passed with only a small number of dissenting votes. The next step is the Senate, where it’s already gained high-profile support. But the ever-growing community of TikTok users is not taking these shifting political tides, and their potential consequences, lying down. TechCrunch spoke with some of these users who are outraged and fighting back against the possibility of a TikTok ban. After all, the impact would extend to many small businesses as well.
But while the talk of a potential ban is dominating the headlines, what about the alternative of simply divesting TikTok from its parent company, Bytedance? Would that not resolve the concerns of the US government? Not so fast. The Chinese government has made it clear that they will not allow such a sale to take place. So, while the bill may have two separate tracks when it comes to TikTok, it ultimately boils down to a single issue in practice. For more on this ongoing debate, hit play below.
“Many small businesses would be impacted by the move, after all.”
Remember to keep an eye out on our tech news section for updates on this developing story.
- House subcommittee votes in favor of bill that would force TikTok’s divestment or ban in the US.
- House passage receives only a small number of dissenting votes.
- Next step: Senate, where high-profile support has already been gathered.
- TikTok users outraged and fighting back against potential ban.
- Chinese government not allowing divestment of TikTok from parent company Bytedance.
- Bill may have two tracks for TikTok, but ultimately boils down to a single-issue law in practice.
Stay tuned for more updates on this rapidly evolving situation.
