Reports that the Chinese embassy lobbied congressional staff against the bill, he added, were a “stunning confirmation of the value the Chinese government places on its ability to access Americans information and shape their TikTok experience”.
ByteDance’s owners would like to cash out, but they need to make both Beijing and Washington happy at the same time
Senator Maria Cantwell, Democrat of Washington state, who pushed to extend the divestment to one year from six months, claimed China had created “back doors” into apps on phones and laptops to target “vulnerable Americans”.
Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, said the measure “puts the US on the wrong side of the principles of fair competition and international trade rules”.
“How the US has handled TikTok enables the world to see clearly whether the US’s ‘rules’ and ‘order’ serve the whole world or only the US,” he added.
The action follows months of congressional fast-tracking and lobbying and deals a serious blow to the short-video platform that in recent years has proved a cultural sensation with more than 175 million American users.
Trump on Monday criticised Biden for the TikTok ban and urged young voters to consider the Democratic president’s position come November.
When Trump reversed his position last month, news organisations noted the move came after he had met with billionaire Jeff Yass, a major contributor to the Republican Party who reportedly holds a major financial stake in the company.
Chinese state media hit US over TikTok bill as owner ByteDance remains silent
Chinese state media hit US over TikTok bill as owner ByteDance remains silent
The congressional vote marks the first time the federal government has sought to shut down a social media company in the US, potentially setting a precedent for future actions against Chinese-owned companies.
TikTok proved unable to allay concerns over data privacy and national security, coupled with allegations of mishandled user data and the company’s potential ties to the Chinese government. The app’s owner, ByteDance, is based in Beijing.
TikTok denies that Beijing authorities have demanded access to user data and instead argued that the planned ban infringes on freedoms of expression and innovation.
TikTok’s head of public policy for the Americas, Michael Beckerman, has slammed the bill as “unconstitutional” and vowed to challenge it in the courts.
“We’ll continue to fight,” he wrote to company staff on Saturday. “This legislation is a clear violation of the first-amendment rights of the 170 million Americans on TikTok.”
Last year a federal judge in Montana blocked the state’s ban on the use of TikTok, saying the measure violated users’ free-speech rights.
James Lewis of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said he believed that “TikTok’s lobbying effort backfired and only hardened congressional opposition” – but that nothing would change for TikTok users at least for a year.
Lewis predicted both a protracted legal battle and negotiations with Beijing on the terms of any potential public offering of shares for TikTok’s future.
Kenya becomes latest country to consider curbs on TikTok over data security fears
Kenya becomes latest country to consider curbs on TikTok over data security fears
“ByteDance’s owners would like to cash out, but they need to make both Beijing and Washington happy at the same time, something that is a real challenge,” he said.
Nova Daly, a former US deputy assistant treasury secretary for CFIUS, the federal body that reviews foreign investments, hailed the vote as an “important moment” for all three branches of the government in addressing national-security concerns.
Daly, now a senior adviser at Washington law firm Wiley Rein, did not believe the bill’s swift bipartisan passage would create a precedent for other foreign-owned business.
Fewer than 3 in 10 Americans support China TikTok bill: poll
Fewer than 3 in 10 Americans support China TikTok bill: poll
“If ByteDance does care about the viability of TikTok in the US and the many users of the platform, the way forward for it is fairly clear,” he added.
Speaking with reporters hours before the vote, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said the TikTok provision enjoyed significant support in the party. However, when asked about Trump’s about-face on the issue, McConnell had no comment.