TikTok, towards a ban in the United States: they are trying to force China to sell the social network

In a move that highlights the growing importance of digital platforms and the control of personal data in geopolitics, the United States of America They seem determined to do so ban TikTok.

Last Thursday the Energy and Commerce commission of House of Representatives approved by unanimity A I count this would force the social network to do so part with your Chinese property if he doesn’t want to be banned on North American soil.

The project was approved with 50 votes in favor and none against in the legislative commission and, once approved, 180 days for ByteDancethe company that owns TikTok, to sell the application.

The initiative still has a long way to go to be approved requires the approval of both houses -the House of Representatives and the Senate- and the Government. However, the spokesperson of the White HouseKarine Jean-Pierre, spoke about a project “important” and the Republican leadership in the House assured this Thursday that it will soon put the law to a vote.

The bill was presented by the Republican congressman Michael Gallagher and the Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi and has a wide bipartisan support.

“As long as TikTok is owned by ByteDance, controlled by the Chinese Communist Partypresents to serious threat for America’s national security,” the two lawmakers said in a joint statement.

The company ensures that the invoice essentially represents a ban on social networks. The deputies, however, assured that “it can continue and people can do what they want as long as there is a separation” between TikTok and ByteDance.

“It’s not a ban, it’s like a surgery aimed at this remove a tumor and save the patient in the process,” the Republican said.

TikTok, also accused of interfering in American elections

This week, the platform received another setback: The US intelligence community accused the Chinese government of using TikTok influence the 2022 midterm elections and warned that Beijing may try to interfere in this year’s elections because of its desire “widening the divisions of American society”.

This is what emerges from a report delivered to Congress on Monday by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which coordinates the 18 US intelligence agencies.

According to the report, Beijing has used app accounts to harm candidates from both the Democratic and Republican parties during the 2022 elections, in which Democrats did better than expected by retaining the Senate and losing the lower House by a few seats.

Likewise, looking to the future, he warns that the Chinese executive could try to influence the November elections, in which, in addition to renewing the House and a third of the Senate, if there are no surprises the Democratic president, Joe Bidenwill face the former Republican president again Donald Trump.

“China may attempt to influence the US elections in 2024 at some level because of its desire to harm those who are critical of China and widen the divisions of American society,” the document reads.

US intelligence agrees that Chinese government actors have “increased their ability to carry out covert actions.” spread misinformation“.

Trump, against the ban

At the center of the debate, the former president and pre-candidate Donald Trump considering that TikTok represents a national threatWhile He was not in favor of banning it. when considering what to do It would benefit Facebook.

Trump underlined this in an online interview CNBC that TikTok has a lot of good things and a lot of bad things too, but that without that social network Facebook would grow.

“And I think so Facebook is an enemy of the peopleas well as many other media,” said the former president, who admitted that the decision in this regard is complicated.

The possible veto of TikTok, in his opinion, “he would do Facebook and others, but above all Facebook”they have been his “great beneficiaries”, and for Trump the platform of Marco Zuckerberg It is “very harmful to the country”.

Trump recently met with the billionaire at his villa in Mar-a-Lago (Florida). Jeff YassRepublican donor and investor in TikTok.

For Steve Bannon, the main ideologist of the movement that catapulted Trump to the White House, the defense that the latter is making towards TikTok has a justification: “Simply: how much money”he said this weekend.

To be president, Trump even banned it via executive order both TikTok and WeChatbut the measures have faced legal challenges and they never came into force. During that period of time ByteDance was trading with Microsoft sell part of the company.

TikTok has a few 170 million users in the United States and has quickly become one of the most popular social networks in the world, especially among young.