Embargo storm resurfaces! The US House of Representatives strongly demands that ByteDance be stripped of TikTok!

On April 20, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an important piece of legislation called the "21st Century Peace Through Strength Act" (H.R. 8038) with 360 votes in favor and 58 against. This bipartisan vote demonstrated broad support for national security priorities, including sanctions against Iran, the seizure of Russia's frozen sovereign assets, and a provision that could lead to a nationwide ban on Tuke.

According to the bill, Tuke's parent company ByteDance must sell its shares in Tuke within one year. If the sale is not completed within the stipulated time, Tuke will face a ban on operations in the United States.

According to the Associated Press, House Republicans previously incorporated the Tuke divestment issue into a larger foreign aid package, which is a priority for President Biden and has received broad congressional support for allies such as Ukraine and Israel. The passage of this bill shows that both sides' national security concerns over Tuke outweigh the platform's commercial interests.

After negotiations, the Senate adjusted the deadline for ByteDance to sell its Tuke shares from six months to nine months, and allowed for an additional three-month extension during the transaction process. This amendment is intended to address concerns from some senators who felt that the original six-month period was too short and might not be conducive to reaching a fair deal.

Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul

Tuke has stated that if the divestment bill ultimately becomes law, they will resort to the courts to try to block its implementation. Tuke believes that the bill infringes on the First Amendment rights of its approximately 170 million American users. In addition, Tuke emphasizes that the platform contributes $24 billion to the U.S. economy annually and supports 7 million businesses.

According to the latest data from the Pew Research Center, about 170 million Americans spend at least one hour a day browsing Tuke, with 60% of users being teenagers. Among these users, 20% say they "almost always" use the platform. In addition, more than 40% of American Tuke users regard the platform as their main source of news.

Faced with such a broad user base, the proposed measure to ban Tuke has sparked discussions about infringement of freedom of speech. Opponents of the ban argue that prohibiting Tuke could not only restrict the flow of information, but also deprive users of the freedom to access and share information, which is explicitly protected by the First Amendment.

Currently, the bill is expected to be submitted to the Senate on Tuesday (April 23). If passed by the Senate, it will be sent to President Biden for signature and enactment.

As for future developments, Tuke will continue to follow up!