A Democratic sponsor says he is cautiously optimistic the House on Wednesday will pass a bill that would force a Chinese parent company to divest itself of TikTok, the massively popular video platform.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Illinois Democrat, said he wrote “a great bill” that would put a firewall between the Chinese Communist Party and the app.
“We want TikTok to continue to operate, we just don’t want the CCP to have its claws in it,” Mr. Krishnamoorthi said.
The bill requires ByteDance, the Chinese-owned parent company of the app, to spin off TikTok. If it does not, the video platform might be banned from app stores.
TikTok is popular with young people, whose votes could determine the results of the 2024 election, making some politicians skittish about moves that could shut it down in the U.S.
Former President Donald Trump has walked back his tough stance on the app, saying a ban on TikTok would only empower social media giant Meta and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, whom Mr. Trump views as a rival.
SEE ALSO: House Republicans break with Trump on TikTok ban bill
Some GOP allies are expected to vote for the divestment bill, citing concerns the Chinese government can access user data and manipulate the algorithm that prioritizes content on the app. The use of TikTok is banned on federal government-owned devices.
President Biden has signaled he would sign the bill if it gets through the House and the Senate. However, Mr. Biden’s campaign uses the app to reach young voters.
Mr. Krishnamoorthi said ByteDance would have six months to complete the sale and data would be transferred so that users could enjoy the app without a service disruption.
The congressman said he does not think regulators would allow Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, to acquire TikTok because of anti-trust concerns.
“I would just tell everyone to please exercise caution with regard to this app,” Mr. Krishnamoorthi said.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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