Members of Congress were concerned that a TikTok ban would hurt entrepreneurs and content creators

Some members of the US House of Representatives strongly oppose the bill banning TikTok.

“Many of the videos on the app question the political establishment, money in politics and our policies in Gaza,” noted the progressive Democratic lawmaker. He added: “We need a platform where people can express their views.”

“If we force the sale of social media companies, what impact will that have on the future?” he shared the conservative brand.

On Tuesday, 352 House members voted in favor of the bill Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary-Controlled Apps Actand only 65 members opposed the bill.

ByteDance, the Chinese parent company that owns TikTok, could have six months to divest the app whether it is passed by law. Unless ByteDance relinquishes ownership and sells the app to a different company, TikTok might be banned within the US

The bipartisan bill was introduced earlier this month by U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., and Mike Gallagher, D-Wisconsin, who serve on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.

Lawmakers on either side of the political aisle argue that TikTok poses a national security risk and is allegedly linked to the Chinese Communist Party. Lawmakers argue that if the bill becomes law, it would protect Americans from the chance of revealing sensitive data when using the app.

During a U.S. Senate hearing in March 2023, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew denied claims that the app was affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party. On Wednesday he sent video for TikTok calling the vote “disappointing.”

Despite lawmakers’ concerns about data privacy, Chew told TikTok users: “We are invested to keep your data safe and protect our platform from outside manipulation.” He added: “We will continue to do so.”

U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., was one of the House minority members who voted against the bill. She turned to X, formerly often known as Twitter, to argue that the U.S. needs “comprehensive data privacy legislation — not a narrow policy targeting one platform that millions use to get news, earn a living and build community.”

U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford, R-Nevada, also voted against the bill and took to TikTok shortly after the vote to share the message with business owners and content creators.

In a short video, the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus expressed “very concern about the impact (of this bill) on small businesses and content creators.”

“In Nevada alone, over 28,000 small businesses use TikTok to promote their business,” Horsford explained.

On March 21, 2023, TikTok shared a post on its website celebrating the very fact that over 150 million Americans use the favored social media platform, which is sort of half of the country’s total population.

Some TikTok users are influencers who rely heavily on the app for his or her monthly income. Now, with the long run of the app hanging within the balance, their ability to generate income on the platform is in jeopardy.

In his Wednesday video, Chew he argued that the bill would “take billions of dollars out of the pockets of creators and small businesses.”

The congressman, whose district includes Silicon Valley, said he has met several creators, teachers, lawyers, historians and the like who’re doing “good things” and providing crucial information to the general public.

“We need to tell their stories,” Khanna said.

Now that the bill has passed the House of Representatives, it would must pass the U.S. Senate and be signed by President Joe Biden.

On Friday, President Biden told reporters at Joint Base Andrews, “If they pass it, I will sign it.”

Rep. Khanna said that even when the Senate passed the controversial bill, he believed the U.S. Supreme Court would “strike it down.”

“The Supreme Court has said that you should have the least restrictive means possible to address the First Amendment,” Khanna said. “You can protect people’s data privacy without blocking apps.”

The Democratic lawmaker added: “Just because something is owned by foreign investors doesn’t mean it’s not allowed in the United States.”

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