'Could change lives': Internet abuzz as House greenlights bill that could potentially ban TikTok in US

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WASHINGTON, DC: The internet was abuzz with chatter when news broke that the House of Representatives has approved a bill that might spell the end of TikTok's reign in the United States.

The video-sharing platform has long been under the microscope due to its Chinese ownership. In a bid to save the application from a potential ban by Congress, Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski stepped forward recently with a daring proposal of acquiring TikTok and running it with American leadership.

Meanwhile, US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene had already expressed her concerns about the bill that could see TikTok banned, citing concerns about privacy and the company's potential sale.

TikTok may get banned in US after House passes bill

Fox Business reported that the House of Representatives has pushed through a bill that could effectively kick TikTok out of the US app stores, making it inaccessible to the American public. This move garnered an overwhelming 352-65 vote in favor, with just one abstention.

What's notable is the rare bipartisan support this bill received, with both Democrats and Republicans backing it unanimously during the committee vote, which ended 50-0. It's a surprising display of unity in a political landscape often marked by deep divisions, Fox Business reported.

The bill, spearheaded by House China Select Committee Chair Mike Gallagher and ranking member Rep Raja Krishnamoorthi, demands that TikTok's parent company, Bytedance, separate itself from the platform within 165 days of the bill's passage. If not, TikTok would be barred in the US unless acquired by a non-adversarial country.

As per Fox Business, critics of TikTok have long sounded alarms over its potential national security risks. They fear the Chinese government could exploit Bytedance's ties to access user data, even on American soil.

Despite the company's denials, China hawks argue that TikTok offers the Chinese Communist Party a powerful tool for mass influence, especially among American youth.

Opponents of the bill, including many young people and activists, flooded Congress with calls and messages urging against TikTok's restriction. Representative Chip Roy, a lead co-sponsor, recounted, "TikTok fires everybody up, and then our offices are getting called with thousands of people calling up. Some kid called in, said they were gonna commit suicide. We have people calling in saying, ‘I’m on this all day long, every day. You can’t take this away from me.' It’s like we called into an AA meeting."

Supporters like former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, however, clarified, "We're not there to ban TikTok. Let's do something better than TikTok because it does not have its algorithm controlled by Bytedance, which is beholden to the Chinese government."

Internet users react to House passing the TikTok ban bill

Social media users mocked TikTok users after the House passed the bill. One social media user wrote, "Tiktokers gonna need to find some jobs now."

Another user wrote, "Oh it would be the end of an ERA :(."

A user commented, "And just like that… a lot of artists careers are about to be over."

Another user commented, "This decade has been SO influenced by tik tok, this moment could change our lives a lot."

A social media user slammed the House leaders and wrote, "Tiktok being their top priority right now yeah we’re in hell," while another said, "Us is over, all of y’all are gonna have to go YouTube shorts or instagram reels."

One person shared a meme and wrote, "Creators on TikTok after hearing this," while another asked, "So what happens when all these “influencers” apply for unemployment….. does the US have that money?"

One X user said, "Tiktokers about to be homeless."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.