U.S. Rep. Greg Pence, R-Indiana, speaks to business leaders on Thursday during an Aspire Legislation Matters luncheon at Valle Vista Golf Club and Conference Center in Greenwood.
Rep. Greg Pence, R-Ind., voted in favor of a bill that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app TikTok if its China-based owner doesn’t sell, as lawmakers acted on concerns that the company’s current ownership structure is a national security threat.
The bill, passed by a vote of 352-65, now goes to the Senate, where its prospects are unclear, The Associated Press reported.
TikTok, which has more than 150 million American users, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd.
The lawmakers contend that ByteDance is beholden to the Chinese government, which could demand access to the data of TikTok’s consumers in the U.S. any time it wants, according to wire reports. The worry stems from a set of Chinese national security laws that compel organizations to assist with intelligence gathering.
The House vote is the latest example of increased tensions between China and the U.S. By targeting TikTok, lawmakers are tackling what they see as a grave threat to America’s national security — but also singling out a platform popular with millions of people, many of whom skew younger, just months before an election.
Alex Haurek, a TikTok spokesperson, said in a statement after the vote that the bill was jammed through as part of a secretive process.
“We are hopeful that the Senate will consider the facts, listen to their constituents, and realize the impact on the economy, 7 million small businesses, and the 170 million Americans who use our service,” Haurek said.
TikTok has long denied that it could be used as a tool of the Chinese government. The company has said it has never shared U.S. user data with Chinese authorities and won’t do so if it is asked. To date, the U.S. government also has not provided any evidence that shows TikTok shared such information with Chinese authorities.
Wednesday’s vote came nearly a year after Pence had a testy exchange with TikTok CEO Shou Chew during a House Energy and Commerce Committee. Pence, who spoke for about five minutes during the hearing, is a member of the committee.
Pence said during the hearing that he heard from hundreds of constituents in his district, which includes much of Bartholomew County, about their experiences with TikTok, and highlighted the experience of an unnamed constituent identified as a mental health counselor who was concerned that teenage patients had “experienced self-harm, gender dysphoria and many mental illnesses that they picked up from TikTok.”
“Our increasing digital world leaves Hoosiers and all American about who has access to their information,” Pence said during the hearing. “For TikTok users, that could be third-party data brokers, advertisers or the Chinese Communist Party. TikTok aggressively feeds addictive content to users to glean massive amounts of personal data that’s worth a fortune.”
“Putting aside the dangers of the CCP involvement … I believe it’s actually time to change the narrative, change the focus and change the outcome by talking about how much money you are making at TikTok,” Pence added later in the hearing, pointing his left index finger at the company’s CEO.
Pence then asked TikTok’s CEO how much revenue the platform makes per user, which Chou declined to reveal, before asking him if users receive any benefit from the profit that is made off their data.
While Chou was answering the question, Pence interrupted, saying, “Thanks. When am I going to get paid for the data that you are selling or you’re getting revenue from advertisers? When am I going to get paid for the data that you’re getting from my children, my grandchildren, my neighbors?”
House passage of the bill is only the first step, according to wire reports. The Senate would also need to pass the measure for it to become law, and lawmakers in that chamber indicated it would undergo a thorough review. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he’ll have to consult with relevant committee chairs to determine the bill’s path.
President Joe Biden has said if Congress passes the measure, he will sign it.
Republican leaders moved quickly to bring up the bill after its introduction last week, according to wire reports. A House committee approved the legislation unanimously, on a 50-0 vote, even after their offices were inundated with calls from TikTok users demanding they drop the effort. Some offices even shut off their phones because of the onslaught. Supporters of the bill said the effort backfired.
Lawmakers in both parties are anxious to confront China on a range of issues, according to wire reports. The House formed a special committee to focus on China-related issues. And Schumer directed committee chairs to begin working with Republicans on a bipartisan China competition bill.
Schumer is likely to feel some pressure from within his own party to move on the TikTok legislation. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner announced after the House vote that he will work to “get this bill passed through the Senate and signed into law.”
Roughly 30 TikTok influencers and others who traveled with them spoke out against the bill on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. They chanted phrases like “Keep TikTok” ahead of the vote. They also held signs that read “TikTok changed my life for the better” and “TikTok helped me grow my business.”
