The ongoing battle over TikTok between the United States and China has once again taken center stage in Washington. The House recently passed a bill that would force ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, to either sell the app or face a ban in the United States. This move comes after previous attempts by former President Donald J. Trump to force a sale of the popular app were thwarted by Beijing.
Despite the bipartisan support for the bill in the House, experts believe that China is not yet ready to retaliate against the United States. The uncertainty surrounding the bill’s fate in the Senate, as well as Trump’s opposition to the legislation, has signaled to Beijing that the issue may eventually fade away.
TikTok, with its wide influence in the United States and globally, has been a point of concern for lawmakers who fear that Beijing could use the app to spread Chinese Communist Party messages or access sensitive data about American users. Efforts by TikTok to address security concerns, such as storing U.S. user data on domestic servers controlled by Oracle, have not been successful, leading to a lack of trust between the company and Washington.
The potential sale of TikTok without its core algorithm, which is considered a sensitive export by China, could pose a challenge for any buyer. Chinese state-controlled media have criticized the treatment of TikTok by the United States, citing it as evidence of double standards in protecting freedom of speech.
The ongoing TikTok furor has sparked outrage in China, with many questioning Washington’s commitment to free-market competition and expressing concerns that the bill could set a precedent for targeting other Chinese-owned technology companies. Despite the growing tensions, Chinese officials have remained relatively restrained in their response to the latest developments.
As the battle over TikTok continues to unfold, the future of the popular app remains uncertain, with both Washington and Beijing closely monitoring the situation.
