TikTok has raised concern over new legislation proposing a ban on the popular social media platform in the United States (US), calling it a violation of people’s right to free speech.
In a statement issued on Sunday, a TikTok spokesperson denounced the potential ban and said it would “trample” free speech in the US. “It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill that would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans,” they said.
TikTok, which is among the fastest growing social media apps globally, is facing a possible ban across the US after the House of Representatives passed a bill, titled “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act”, approving its takedown in March this year. The lawmakers have put forth a condition for the company. It requires TikTok to divest from its parent company ByteDance, which is of Chinese origin. The company was originally based in Beijing, but then shifted to Singapore. If TikTok does not sell its stakes within a year, it could be banned in the US.
The legislation has received heavy criticism from rights advocates, content creators, and regular TikTok users. The bill has landed in the Senate and its fate has yet to be decided. President Joe Biden has, however, already stated that he would sign the legislation.
The bill arrived after concerns mounted regarding potential transfer of sensitive user data of American users to the Chinese government. Officials allege TikTok’s parent ByteDance could be forced by the Chinese government to hand over US citizens’ data under stringent laws in China. TikTok, on the other hand, has time and again stated it has no links with the Chinese government and that it protects the privacy of its user data. These apprehensions have shaken the governments both in the US and the European Union (EU).
TikTok has released several statements in response to data privacy allegations, but they have done little to allay concerns. In September 2023, TikTok opened its first data centre in Ireland under a project titled “Project Clover”. The initiative was aimed at satisfying regulators and onboarded a British cybersecurity firm NCC as the third-party security provider for the project.
Months later in March, TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew appeared before US lawmakers and answered questions related to ByteDance’s relations with the Chinese government (led by the Chinese Communist Party). “Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country,” Chew had testified.
TikTok stands banned on government-issued devices in several countries, including Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Denmark. It has also been prohibited from official devices in the EU.
