The US House of Representatives passed a bill on March 13 that would force TikTok to sell or face a ban in the US. The legislation has the backing of the White House, even as President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign has started to use the platform to reach younger voters.
Depending on whom you ask, the short-form video platform TikTok is either a showcase for goofy dances and makeup tutorials or a sophisticated threat to US national security.
Because TikTok Inc is owned by a Chinese company, ByteDance — and because China requires its companies, upon request, to share any national security-related data with the government — TikTok’s popularity among Americans carries implications beyond the mobile-phone screen. That’s on top of hand-wringing by parents, educators and mental-health experts about whether TikTok’s content and addictive nature are unhealthy for young minds.
