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 regulation, 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 wish 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 wish the information from TikTok – kids’s knowledge, adults’ knowledge– to be staying right here in America or going to China?”
Based on TikTok, greater than 150 million Individuals use the platform. TikTok employs round 7,000 folks within the U.S. and round 5 million companies make the most of the platform to increase their companies.
On March 13, the Defending Individuals from International 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 might or not it’s that Congress must be working onerous to plot a method to bypass that prevailing precept of the First Modification towards the usage of a specific technique of expression by 170 million Individuals?” stated Bishop, who voted no on the invoice. “America confronts an awesome problem in China, and it’ll not prevail by changing into extra prefer it.”
The invoice nonetheless has to make its method via the U.S. Senate and President Joe Biden to grow to be regulation.
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.
