- The U.S. House approved a bill giving ByteDance six months to divest TikTok’s American operations.
- ByteDance CEO Shou Zi Chew denies Communist Party links and vows legal action.
- TikTok faces varying government restrictions globally.
ByteDance faces six-month deadline
The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill granting ByteDance six months to divest TikTok’s American operations or risk a nationwide ban.
The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act cleared the lower house by a 352-65 vote but required Senate approval.
CEO vows legal fight against legislation
President Joe Biden signaled his intent to sign the legislation, culminating in a yearlong dispute over the influence of the Chinese government on social apps boasting 170 million U.S. users. The move reflects broader U.S.-China tensions across various domains, including technology.
ByteDance CEO Shou Zi Chew vehemently denied allegations of Communist Party links during prior testimonies. Following the House vote, Chew stated in a TikTok video that the company will exercise legal rights to challenge the potential ban within its 165-day window post-signing.
While the U.S. intensifies pressure, TikTok faces varying government restrictions globally. Indonesia, for instance, temporarily banned TikTok Shop last year before resolving the issue through ByteDance’s acquisition of e-commerce giant Tokopedia.
To read the original article: https://www.techinasia.com/house-passes-tiktok-bill-ban-force-apps-sale
