'India did it in 2020': US passes bill to force ByteDance to divest TikTok or face ban

The US House of Representatives passed a bill to ban TikTok in the US unless its Chinese owner sells the video-sharing app, mounting the most serious challenge yet to a service that’s used by 170 million Americans but critics call a national-security threat. 

Several lawmakers referred to the decision taken by India in 2020 to ban the app.

In 2020, India banned 59 Chinese-created apps, including TikTok, emphasising their priority to defend India's national security, said the office of Congressman Greg Murphy in a statement.

Lack of transparency from TikTok executives and their unwillingness to protect user privacy and information have also encouraged neighbouring governments like the European Union and Canada to prohibit the use of the application on government devices.

House Republicans said the ambitious data collection goals of China and the documented lack of transparency from TikTok and their executives over data and moderation practices has prompted governments, including the US, the European Union, Canada, India and several US States to ban the use of the application on government devices.

The White House said this bill when passed by the Senate would be signed into law by the president. At the same time, it insisted the bill does not ban apps like TikTok.

"We are glad to see this bill move forward. We will look to the Senate to take swift action. As we have said this is something that National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said -- this bill is important and we welcome the step in -- and ongoing efforts to address the threat posed by certain technology services operating in the US that put at risk Americans --  personal information and our broader national security, including through the manipulation by foreign powers of Americans -- views and beliefs,--  said White House Press Secretary Karine Jeane-Pierre.

"The National Security Advisor was very clear, Jake Sullivan said: 'Do we want private data that Americans have to be here or in China? Do we want companies to be owned here or in China?' That was what he said. I want to be also very clear here: This bill would not ban apps like TikTok, period. What it would do is to ensure that ownership, as I just stated, of these apps wouldn't be in the hands of those who can exploit them or do us harm," she said.