China cautions of possible TikTok ban in US
Date
3/13/2024 7:14:46 AM
(MENAFN) On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin issued a cautionary statement directed at the United States, highlighting potential repercussions of imposing a ban on the popular social media application TikTok. Emphasizing that there is no conclusive evidence substantiating TikTok's alleged threat to American national security, Wenbin criticized the ongoing efforts by the United States to suppress the application as "bullying."
The U.S. House of Representatives is slated to vote on a bill on Wednesday that would compel ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, to divest its ownership in the United States within 165 days or face a ban in the country. However, passage of the bill hinges on securing a two-thirds majority approval from House members.
If approved, the bill, officially titled "Protecting Americans from Controlled Foreign Apps," would also necessitate President Joe Biden's signature to become law. This legislative move comes amid growing concerns among U.S. policymakers about the potential national security risks posed by foreign-owned social media platforms.
In anticipation of this potential decision, TikTok had earlier alerted its users about the House of Representatives' deliberation on potentially "banning" the application. With approximately 170 million American users, TikTok's fate in the U.S. remains uncertain.
Notably, while former President Donald Trump expressed concerns regarding TikTok's purported threat to national security, he also acknowledged the potential adverse impact a ban could have on young Americans, underscoring the complex considerations at play in this contentious issue.
MENAFN13032024000045015682ID1107971597
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.