The ongoing conflict between US lawmakers and TikTok could soon significantly impact US citizens and tech enthusiasts. The ByteDance-owned app might be removed from Google and Apple app stores. US lawmakers are pushing for this action. They also threatened to penalize any online store that hosts TikTok unless the app severs its ties with ByteDance.
The bill is known as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. And it is a bipartisan effort led by the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. It was initiated by chair Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and ranking member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and has already garnered the support of 19 lawmakers. More signatures are expected from US Congress members, indicating the issue’s seriousness.
TikTok could be removed from any app store
The bill outlines that any app store or web hosting service that distributes ByteDance-controlled apps, including TikTok, will face a civil penalty. This could lead to TikTok’s removal from app stores unless it distances itself from ByteDance. The potential consequences for TikTok are significant, highlighting the gravity of the situation. Meanwhile, despite these ups and downs, TikTok is the fastest-growing social media app in the US.
The violators are subject to pay a fine “in an amount not to exceed the amount that results from multiplying $5,000 by the number of users within the land or maritime borders of the United States determined to have accessed, maintained, or updated a foreign adversary controlled application as a result of such violation.” The US attorney general is responsible for enforcing the bill.
This bipartisan bill also allows US presidents to subject any social platforms from adversary countries to the bill. In other words, any social media platform from an adversary country must cut ties with its hometown parent company to operate in the US. As a side note, the US considers China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea as foreign adversary countries.
TikTok strongly opposed the bill
TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek said the bill “is an outright ban of TikTok, no matter how much the authors try to disguise it.” Haurek added that the legislation violates First Amendment rights. And deprives 5 million small US businesses of a platform they can rely on to grow.
TikTok already pledged to keep the US user’s data within the United States through a partnership with Oracle. Meanwhile, it was later revealed that China-based ByteDance employees can still access those data without restriction.