Washington vs TikTok: Wide bipartisan push against Chinese ownership

LAST week’s overwhelming vote on Capitol Hill – 352 to 65, reflecting broad bipartisan support – to approve a Bill that would ban TikTok, the popular video-sharing platform, from US devices unless it gave up its Chinese ownership, was expected, if slow in coming.

The Bill – introduced by Wisconsin Republican Mike Gallagher and Illinois Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi, and endorsed by Biden administration officials – would ban TikTok from app stores and web-hosting services in the United Services if the company doesn’t divest from its Chinese owner, ByteDance. The legislation allows the US president to prohibit social media apps that are controlled by “a foreign adversary”.

The message from Washington, including Congress and the White House, to TikTok was simple: Cut your ties with Beijing, or break up with the US.