Biden's Firm Stand On TikTok Ban Bill: Ready To Sign If Congress Approves

US President Joe Biden announced that legislation providing China's ByteDance with approximately six months to divest from the popular TikTok short video app would be signed by him. However, objections regarding a potential ban on the service, utilized by 170 million Americans, have been raised by his Republican rival Donald Trump, on Friday.

The TikTok crackdown bill, unanimously approved by a committee on Thursday, is set to be voted upon by the US House of Representatives next week, either on Tuesday (March 13) or Wednesday (March 14). Approval of the proposal will require two-thirds of members to vote "yes" under the applicable rules.

Biden's Firm Stand On TikTok Ban Bill

Biden, a Democrat, informed reporters, "If they pass it, I'll sign it." Nonetheless, the bill's fate in the Senate remains uncertain, with certain lawmakers expressing the need for alterations to the legislation. Trump, seeking a return to the White House in the November election, expressed reservations about banning TikTok, stating on social media: "If you get rid of TikTok, Facebook ... will double their business." He further stated his disinterest in Facebook "doing better."

Trump's criticism of Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, for revoking his access to Facebook and Instagram following the removal of two of his posts during the January 6, 2021, US Capitol riot was reiterated. His accounts were reinstated in February 2023, as reported by Reuters.

The Trump campaign refrained from immediate commentary on whether he holds a stance on the legislation, and Meta Platforms opted not to provide a comment. According to a document viewed by Reuters, the Justice Department informed the House Committee on Energy and Commerce that a divestiture bill, as opposed to a ban on TikTok, would place the government in a more robust legal position.

Mike Pence, former vice president under Trump, endorsed the proposed House legislation concerning TikTok, stating on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, "China is poisoning the minds of American children. Enough is enough."

The bill would grant ByteDance a period of 165 days to divest TikTok. Failure to do so would result in app stores operated by Apple, Alphabet's Google, and others being legally prohibited from offering TikTok or providing web hosting services to ByteDance-controlled applications, reported India Today citing Reuters.

In 2020, Trump attempted to ban TikTok and Chinese-owned WeChat but faced legal challenges. Republican Senator Rand Paul, who had previously impeded efforts to fast-track a TikTok ban, responded to Trump's remarks by questioning why the House GOP is aligning with Biden in seeking to ban TikTok, as reported by Reuters.

TikTok argues that the House bill effectively amounts to a ban. It remains uncertain whether China would approve any sale or if ByteDance could divest TikTok within six months. Following the vote by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, TikTok asserted, "This legislation has a predetermined outcome: a total ban on TikTok in the United States."

Given its popularity, securing approval for legislation in both the House and Senate during an election year may prove challenging. Last month, Biden's re-election campaign joined TikTok.