US measure may compel ByteDance to give up its TikTok shares
American authorities have been concerned for years that the Chinese government may have access to the app’s data.
On Tuesday, a group of 19 MPs, representing both parties, submitted the bill.
The law was dubbed a «outright ban» by TikTok.
«Applications like TikTok that are controlled by foreign adversaries pose an unacceptable risk to US national security,» the congressmen stated in a statement unveiling the measure.
According to the law, ByteDance would have 165 days to divest or face removal from the US app store and web hosting platforms.
«This legislation will trample the First Amendment rights of 170 million Americans and deprive 5 million small businesses of a platform they rely on to grow and create jobs,» TikTok stated in a statement.
One of the most widely used applications in the US, particularly with younger users, is TikTok.
Legislators in the US are making yet another attempt to impose restrictions on the app.
Last year, senators proposed legislation to prohibit the app, but the effort was shelved due to corporate pressure.
In 2020, the former president Donald Trump attempted—though in vain—to outright prohibit the application.
Despite the fact that President Joe Biden‘s reelection campaign created an account last month, the software is prohibited on government devices as well.
