By Tashi McQueen, AFRO Political Author, tmcqueen@afro.com
Congress is one step nearer to banning or requiring a change in possession of the favored social media platform, TikTok. The U.S. Home of Representatives handed a a lot anticipated, contentious invoice aimed toward defending nationwide safety from the risks of social media.
The invoice, if handed into legislation, would require TikTok to both half with its Chinese language proprietor, ByteDance, or be banned.
“The last word goal of the invoice is a few query of possession. Do we would like TikTok, as a platform, to be owned by an American firm or owned by China?” stated Nationwide Safety Advisor Jake Sullivan to the press on March 12. “Do we would like the information from TikTok – youngsters’s information, adults’ information– to be staying right here in America or going to China?”
In keeping with TikTok, greater than 150 million People use the platform. TikTok employs round 7,000 individuals within the U.S. and round 5 million companies make the most of the platform to broaden their companies.
On March 13, the Defending People from Overseas Adversary Managed Purposes Act, H.R. 7521, was overwhelmingly handed by a 352-65 vote. Although it was largely handed by a Bipartisan vote, 50 Democrats and 15 Republicans voted no on the invoice.
Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.-08), who voted no, claims the invoice is an infringement of First Modification rights.
“How may or not it’s that Congress ought to be working exhausting to plot a method to bypass that prevailing precept of the First Modification towards using a selected technique of expression by 170 million People?” stated Bishop, who voted no on the invoice. “America confronts a fantastic problem in China, and it’ll not prevail by turning into extra prefer it.”
The invoice nonetheless has to make its manner via the U.S. Senate and President Joe Biden to turn out to be legislation.
On March 8, Biden stated he would signal the invoice if it made it to his desk.
Tashi McQueen is a Report For America corps member.
