One of the most viral stories to reach the internet was the 50-part TikTok series, “Who TF Did I Marry?” by TikTok user Reesa Teesa. In it, she described her tumultuous relationship with her ex-husband and the mind-boggling events that led to the ultimate demise of the marriage.
Although there has been widespread opinion about her choices, others would not have felt the impact of her story without the TikTok platform. Now, creators like Reesa Teesa and viewers who enjoy the content could soon no longer have a place to gather.
Recently, a bill in the House of Representatives advanced that could eliminate TikTok from being used and accessed in the United States. According to CBS News, the Chinese-based social media platform is the subject of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.
The 12-page bill was proposed to “protect the national security of the United States from the threat posed by foreign adversary controlled applications,” CBS News reports. Unanimously passed through the House Energy and Commerce Committee, it would ban TikTok if its Chinese-based parent company ByteDance doesn’t sell it. The bill would also make it unlawful for the company to distribute or offer other apps to users in the U.S.
Taking TikTok away from Americans would change how many users find and learn new information. According to a report by The New York Times, TikTok has become Gen Z’s new search engine, reducing Google search engine usage.
“In our studies, something like almost 40 percent of young people, when they’re looking for a place for lunch, they don’t go to Google Maps or Search. They go to TikTok or Instagram,” Prabhakar Raghavan, a Google senior vice president, said during Fortune’s 2022 Brainstorm Tech conference.
The potential TikTok ban would also end the platform many Black creators have used to maintain their status as influencers and produce content that entertains, uplifts, and inspires.
If this bill passes, ByteDance will have 180 days to sell the company so that U.S. users can continue accessing the app, or the company can keep it and be banned from app stores within the country, CBS News notes. Congress’ intense reaction stems from its concern that the social media platform could provide the Chinese government with access to TikTok users’ information and data for potential espionage.
“America’s foremost adversary has no business controlling a dominant media platform in the United States. TikTok’s time in the United States is over unless it ends its relationship with CCP-controlled ByteDance,” Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) said, referring to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in a statement. According to CBS News, Gallagher leads the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party and was joined by fellow committee member Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) in introducing the bill.
Although U.S. lawmakers have their concerns, TikTok has responded by defending its practices. The CBS report above notes that a spokesperson from the social media platform said a ban on TikTok would infringe upon the audience’s constitutional rights in the U.S.
To reach its users, TikTok sent an alert to those opening the app, urging users to take action to prevent the app from being removed.
Per CBS News, the app’s opening message read, “Stop a TikTok shutdown. “Speak up now—before your government strips 170 million Americans of their Constitutional right to free expression. This will damage millions of businesses, destroy the livelihoods of countless creators across the country, and deny artists an audience.”
Regardless of Congress’ final decision, government and federal officials currently cannot have TikTok on their devices. If it does pass the House, the bill will go on to the Senate for final voting – where it will likely find support.
This action will not happen if additional pushback from TikTok is possible. In 2020, the company sued the Trump administration for attempting to ban the platform, per the outlet.
