TikTok users in the United States could soon be shut out of the popular app, as politicians move forward with a bill giving its Chinese-based owner ByteDance an ultimatum to sell or face a ban.
But what’s behind the ban, and could the US actually stamp out the clock app?
Here’s what you need to know:
What does the bill say?
The US House of Representatives legislation essentially gives ByteDance two options: sell TikTok or face a ban.
If ByteDance chooses to divest its stake, TikTok will continue to operate in the US.
However, this only happens if the president determines “through an inter-agency process” that the platform is “no longer being controlled by a foreign adversary”.
The bill would also require ByteDance to give up control of TikTok’s well-known algorithm, which feeds users content based on their preferences.
Experts have said it will be challenging for ByteDance to sell TikTok in a few months.
If the company chooses not to sell, TikTok would be prohibited from app stores until a divesture occurs, according to the bill.
Why the concern?
US politicians, alongside law enforcement and intelligence officials, have long expressed concerns over the app’s link to China.
They fear Chinese authorities could force ByteDance to hand over data on the 170 million Americans who use it.
The fear isn’t unfounded.
China has a set of national security laws that compel organisations to assist with intelligence gathering— and this could include ByteDance.
TikTok has denied assertions it could be used as a tool of the Chinese government.
The company has said it has never shared US user data with Chinese authorities and won’t do so if it’s asked.
To date, the US government has not provided any evidence which shows TikTok has shared such information with Chinese authorities.
Other concerns are that TikTok censors content unfavourable about China, which TikTok also denies.
The US Office of the Director of National Intelligence also warned in a report on Monday that the Chinese government has used TikTok to influence recent US elections.
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Will TikTok shut down now?
In short, no.
The Senate would also need to pass the measure for it to become law.
But it’s unclear what will happen then, as several bills aimed at banning TikTok have stalled in the Senate.
President Joe Biden has said he will sign the bill if politicians pass it.
If that happens, ByteDance would have 180 days to sell TikTok to a qualified buyer.
Even then, the proposal could still be challenged by the company in court.
Experts predict app users could also continue to use the app via virtual private networks, or VPNs, in the case of a shutdown.
Has a TikTok ban been threatened before?
In 2020, former president Donald Trump attempted to ban the social media platform through an executive order.
This was later blocked by the courts after TikTok sued.
The Trump administration also brokered a deal in 2020 that would have had US corporations, including Walmart, take a large stake in TikTok on national security grounds.
But the sale never went through for a number of reasons.
The Biden administration revoked Trump’s executive order but continued a review of the platform by the secretive Committee on Foreign Investment.
The White House acknowledged in February the review remains ongoing.
Other efforts from US politicians to enact nationwide bans were stalled last year amid lobbying from TikTok and users.
How are TikTokkers reacting?
Small businesses who rely on the platform for marketing or to sell products on the TikTok Shop warned against the ban.
Some TikTok influencers, who say they use the app to acquire brand deals and other types of income, headed to Washington this week to participate in a lobbying blitz against the bill.
As for users, TikTok has petitioned them to call their representatives about the measure, which it characterised as a “TikTok shutdown”.
The company told users Congress was planning a “total ban” on the platform which could “damage millions of businesses, destroy the livelihoods of countless creators across the country and deny artists an audience”.
On Thursday, many users responded by inundating congressional offices with calls, leading some to shut off their phones.
What about Australia?
TikTok estimated last June it has 8.5 million Australians and 350,000 businesses using the app, and that number continues to grow.
Its Australian branch has said it does not, and would not, share its data with any foreign government, but that hasn’t stopped Australian politicians from also worrying about the app.
In December, the Australian Information Commissioner launched investigations into the app after it was accused of taking data from the devices of people who don’t even have TikTok.
The Australian government also banned TikTok on government-issued devices last April, based on advice from intelligence and security agencies.
Some politicians, including NSW Greens senator David Shoebridge, labelled the move another “political push against China”, saying data harvesting occurred across other social media platforms.
ABC/AP