The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill Wednesday that calls for China tech giant ByteDance to divest TikTok or the popular social video app will effectively be banned in the U.S. The measure passed with a resounding 352-65 vote and with one member voting present. The legislation, dubbed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, was introduced March 5 by Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. Two days later, House members on the Energy and Commerce Committee, including Rep. John Joyce (R-13), voted unanimously to approve the bill, which refers to TikTok as a threat to national security because it is controlled by a foreign adversary. The bill now heads to the Senate where it faces an uncertain future as senators appear divided about the legislation, and other federal and state-led efforts to ban TikTok have stalled. Pennsylvania’s House delegation saw 14 members in favor while only three – Reps. Brendan Boyle (D-02), Scott Perry (R-10) and Summer Lee (D-12) – voted against the measure.

I voted yes on the bill requiring TikTok to financially separate from its parent company, ByteDance, & the Chinese Communist Party.

This vote didn’t ban TikTok. Instead it protects Americans & our democracy from threats that could exist if TikTok data remains in the wrong hands. — Chrissy Houlahan (@RepHoulahan) March 13, 2024

Today, the House overwhelmingly supported a bill that will prevent the Chinese Communist Party from stealing Americans’ data and spreading propaganda. It strengthens our national security. And, it gives TikTok a choice: separate from the CCP or you’re out of the American market.

— Rep. Mike Kelly (@MikeKellyPA) March 13, 2024

Perry’s vote went against the wishes of former President Donald Trump, who had warned Republicans against approving the bill. While Trump believes TikTok is a national security threat, he also said barring it would empower Facebook, which he considers “an enemy of the people.”

When it comes to legislation, the devil is ALWAYS in the details. I voted NO on the TikTok ban because it could be used to target the American People, just like the Patriot Act.

There are other, better ways to go after the espionage activities of the CCP, like labeling it a… pic.twitter.com/f09f7i3Zm8 — RepScottPerry (@RepScottPerry) March 13, 2024

Perry joined other Trump supporters such as Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) were among the 197 Republicans who voted in favor of the bill — which easily cleared the two-thirds vote threshold it needed to pass the lower chamber. The vote also bucked Pennsylvania billionaire Jeffrey Yass, whose Susquehanna International Group trading firm, owns a 15 percent stake in ByteDance, while Yass has a personal share of seven percent.

Susquehanna first invested in ByteDance in 2012, long before the company created TikTok and then merged it with a short-form video app called “Musical.ly” in 2018. When the app exploded in popularity, Susquehanna’s investment paid off.

Today, at least 170 million Americans use TikTok regularly, according to company data.

“This process was secret and the bill was jammed through for one reason: it’s a ban,” a TikTok spokesperson said after the vote was passed. “We are hopeful that the Senate will consider the facts, listen to their constituents, and realize the impact on the economy, 7 million small businesses, and the 170 million Americans who use our service.” Pennsylvania’s junior Sen. John Fetterman issued a statement, calling on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to put the bill on the floor.

 

Let me be very clear: this legislation to restrict TikTok does NOT ban the app.

It separates ties to the Chinese Communist Party 🇨🇳 and prevents them from accessing the data of Americans—especially our kids.

Leader Schumer should put this bill on the floor soon.

— Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) March 13, 2024

  President Joe Biden has previously said that he would sign the bill if it is passed.

  updated to include Fetterman comment