House passes bill that could lead to a TikTok ban; fight shifts to the Senate

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CNBC

Published Wed, Mar 13 2024 10:39 AM EDT Updated 6 Min Ago


The House 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 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.

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/13/house-passes-bill-that-could-lead-to-a-tiktok-ban-fight-shifts-to-the-senate.html

[lapfog_1]

1. I guess not all of the House MAGATS got the message

Trump now LOVES Tiktok... because the billionaire owner of TikTok ( one of them ) came to kiss his ass ( and, possibly, co-sign the bond for his other buddy, the billionaire owner of Chubb Insurance ).

And now Trump doesn't really want it banned.

If they ban it, watch the repukes try to hang it on Dems so that the under 25 vote gets all pissed off and has yet another reason to sit on their hands this fall... or even vote for Trump.

[PortTack]

8. Unfortunately, that's very true!

[SpankMe]

2. An interesting analysis from NBC News commentator

I know there aren't a lot of Chuck Todd fans here, but on today's NBCNews.com, he presents a pretty good analysis and some agreeable opinion on this subject. It's the first 2/3's of the article here (stop at the sub-header "Here We Go Again". the TikTok piece doesn't go past that):

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/chuck-todd-big-missing-piece-congress-rushed-tiktok-debate-rcna142959

He basically says it's all about China and posturing. All social media companies do basically the same with users' data, but no one's addressing that. We have laws that limit TV station, newspaper and other industry ownership by foreign entities, but no such law for social media. He points out that congress is freaked out about TikTok, but they're OK with foreigners buying into our sports leagues. He opines that the "...North Star of all tech legislation needs to be privacy" and that our safety would flow from that, regardless of who owns it.

There's more, and it's a tad long-ish. but, it's worth a read.

[hueymahl]

3. Privacy is key

And this law does nothing to address that. And it is worded so poorly, that it could be applied to platforms beyond tik tok, even US platforms. This should be an easy veto by Biden, if it gets that far.

[mzmolly]

4. Well said.

eom

[jimfields33]

5. Looks like the house has the votes to over turn a VETO, if the numbers stick

[LeftInTX]

11. Biden is gonna sign it. Rand Paul is gonna filibuster it.

[hueymahl]

13. Uggh

How messed up is it that I am pulling for the filibuster? I will continue to campaign for Biden regardless.

[nowforever]

6. I am on TikTok a lot

It is an app with 170m USA users. Gen Z loves the app as do the under 35 crowd and the ban will definitely be played by Trump as a Democrat driven decision. TikTok posts offers a plethora of information and entertainment that is very wide ranging which is driven by the users preferences. Because of my preferences I am always seeing anti-Trump postings and discussions. I find the site entertaining and informative and think a ban will be seen as unfairly limiting free speech and be felt as a slap to the younger generation. At the very least, there should be a 9 month grace period instead of 6 month, for the Chinese owners to divest themselves of control, thus getting us past election.

[PortTack]

7. Same... TikTok is very diverse and informative. Lots of great creators...some very high profile.

I understand why it’s so popular. Ppl here bash it because they haven’t used it.

[LeftInTX]

12. I personally hate it. Videos are noisy and always highly edited.

But, banning it is a different subject.

[JoseBalow]

9. It can get old trolling flerfs, but please

don't take my puppies away!

[iluvtennis]

10. I don't like this ban. I'd like to see the intelligence that TikTok is a threat to US national security. I agree China

the nation is a threat, but not this app.