The US House of Representatives has approved a bill that could potentially lead to a ban on the popular social media app TikTok. The bill, passed with a vote of 360-58, marks the latest setback for TikTok in the United States as it battles for survival under its current ownership by ByteDance, its Chinese parent company.
The bill’s passage in the US House is part of a foreign aid package for Israel and Ukraine. This move mirrors an earlier version approved in March of this year, which would ban TikTok from US app stores unless it finds a new owner promptly, according to a CNN report.
By attaching the TikTok bill to funding for Israeli missile defense and Ukrainian military equipment, Republican lawmakers in the US have put pressure on Senate lawmakers to consider the entire package in a single up-or-down vote.
Policy analysts anticipate that the US Senate will swiftly take up the aid package, increasing its likelihood of passing. President Joe Biden has previously stated that he would sign the TikTok legislation if it were to reach his desk.
The passage of the TikTok bill illustrates how policy priorities beyond the company’s control have converged to create a potentially devastating outcome for an app that is favored by many young Americans.
