The US House of Representatives is considering speeding up the passage of legislation concerning TikTok by linking it to financial aid for Ukraine and Israel. This strategy follows a similar proposal that had already been approved by the House, but which was opposed by the Senate because the transfer deadline was deemed too short. To overcome these obstacles, House Speaker Mike Johnson included the measure in a package of provisions that included significant aid for these countries, allowing the transfer deadline to be extended to meet the concerns of some Senators.
A vote is scheduled for Saturday, and the new proposal is expected to pass the House. The Senate and President Joe Biden have indicated that they will consider the measure quickly if it passes. The main concern behind this legislation is possible Chinese interference, although this threat remains hypothetical for the time being. Faced with a potential transfer or ban, TikTok has signalled its intention to legally challenge the measure, citing First Amendment arguments in particular.
This situation is unprecedented for such a large-scale technology company, sparking a lively debate on the implications of such a forced separation by a government, particularly in the United States where the social networking industry is highly developed. In the event of a ban, a study by the Centre for Economic Policy Research revealed that university students would have to be offered up to $59 a month, or more than $700 a year, to encourage them to delete the application from their phones, underlining the importance of TikTok to its users.
Congress is presenting this ban as a protective measure against the potential risks of Chinese influence or data collection. The extension of the deadline for making a decision pushes this deadline beyond the presidential election, thus avoiding the need for politicians to justify their position on this sensitive issue to young voters during the election period.
Bloomberg TV provided by MT Newswires
