Today, Explained
Can Congress ban TikTok?
Mar 20, 2024
Andrew Desiderio, a Senior Reporter at Punchbowl News, and Kate Ruane, Director of the Free Expression Project at the Center for Democracy and Technology, dive into the heated debate over TikTok's future in the U.S. They discuss the complex national security concerns driving legislation and the implications for free expression. With TikTok users mobilizing against a possible ban, the conversation highlights how legislative actions are balancing security needs with digital rights and proposes the necessity of comprehensive data privacy reforms.
25:38
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Quick takeaways
- Proposed bill to force ByteDance to divest TikTok unlikely to pass Senate due to legal and constitutional concerns.
- Alternative comprehensive privacy legislation suggested as better solution for national security concerns related to TikTok ban.
Deep dives
House of Representatives Passes Bill to Potentially Ban TikTok
The House of Representatives passed a bill aimed at forcing ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, to divest TikTok to a non-Chinese entity within 180 days. If this does not occur, TikTok would be banned in the United States. The bill intends to address concerns about Chinese access to American data through ByteDance, citing national security risks. However, tech experts believe ByteDance is unlikely to agree to sell TikTok due to proprietary concerns.
