House expected to vote on TikTok ban this week
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – The U.S. House of Representatives is likely to pass a bill this week that threatens to delete TikTok from your smartphone.
The legislation, supported by Democrats, Republicans and the White House, would order the Chinese-based company, ByteDance, to sell TikTok if it wants to remain available to app users in the U.S.
"The problem isn't TikTok," said U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, (R-Fla.). "The problem is the algorithm that powers it is controlled by a company in China that must do whatever the Chinese Communist Party tells them to do."
During a Senate hearing Monday, top intelligence officials warned ByteDance's ownership of TikTok threatens national security. FBI Director Christopher Wray said that includes influencing elections and promoting conspiracy theories.
"The different kinds of influence operations you're describing are extraordinarily difficult to detect," Wray said.
A House committee unanimously passed the bill Thursday.
"That is impressive in nature in any instance, but particularly as it relates to something in the social media space," said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, (D-N.Y.).
In another rare move, Republicans plan to move it forward Wednesday for a vote in the full House, despite former president Donald Trump opposing the legislation.
"If they pass it, I'll sign it," President Joe Biden said.
President Biden supports the bill, and the White House even helped craft it. However, the president's reelection campaign also recently got on TikTok.
If the House passes the legislation, the Senate would then have to decide whether to send it to President Biden's desk. Upon his signature, ByteDance would have roughly six months to sell TikTok.
Previous efforts in Congress to implement an outright ban on TikTok didn't have White House backing. Lawmakers have passed legislation that now bans the app from government phones.