Washington, March 10 (Hibya) - The USA is taking another step towards a complete ban on TikTok. On Friday night, the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously voted yes on such a proposal.
However, the problem is not solved yet. In the next step, the House of Representatives will take a stance against the bill in a vote expected to be held on Tuesday or Wednesday next week. Two-thirds of the members must vote "yes" for the bill to be approved.
It is also unclear how the Senate will react to the proposal, and it is anticipated that it will be difficult to pass the legislation in the current election year.
The TikTok app, used by 170 million Americans, is being questioned over its owner's company's questionable ties to the Chinese state. There are also concerns about the user data the app collects.
If the bill is approved, TikTok owner Bytedance will have 165 days, or less than six months, to sell the app.
It's unclear whether China would approve such a sale or whether TikTok could be divested within six months.
TikTok, which says it does not share US user data with the Chinese state, strongly opposes policy measures
The company claimed that the outcome of the vote was "predetermined" and that the U.S. government "seemed to deprive 170 million Americans of their constitutional right to free speech."
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