Jessica Yellin Instagram – TIKTOK BILL ACHIEVES THE NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE
National security officials fear TikTok is being used to drive divisions in American society. And opposition to TikTok has achieved the nearly impossible – uniting many House Democrats and Republicans.
With overwhelming and bipartisan support the US House of Representatives passed the bill that would force Beijing Headquartered company ByteDance to sell TikTok to a US company or face a ban.
352 members voted in favor of the bill. 66 opposed. And one Democrat voted present. Nearly 200 Republicans and 155 Democrats supported the measure. Opponents included progressive Democrats and some Republicans who call the forced sale or ban a free speech violation.
US National security officials say that the app is a threat in two ways: it could allow the Chinese government to access US user data and/or it could/does manipulate US public opinion through content its algorithm pushes users, especially during an election year.
Chinese officials and TikTok representatives strenuously deny that the platform is or would be used in this way. The wildly popular app asked its users to flood their members of Congress with phone calls demanding they oppose the measure.
The measure now goes to the Senate – where a forced sale or ban is likely to encounter some opposition. President Biden has said he’d sign it, if it gets to his desk.
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TikTok claims to have more than 150 million active users in the US.
Do you support this forced sale/ban? Why? | Posted on 13/Mar/2024 20:58:30



