TikTok Ban Law Sparks Outrage in China... "Who Can Live Like This?"

TikTok Ban Bill Passes US House with Overwhelming Support
Must Be Sold Within 6 Months of Enactment... Failure Means Effective Expulsion

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the so-called 'TikTok Ban Act,' which would allow the removal of the Chinese video streaming service TikTok from the United States, sparking heated public opinion in China. On Chinese social networking services (SNS), there are claims that the related bill forces a sale, but some question whether there is actually a company capable of sustaining TikTok in the U.S.

On the 13th (local time), TikTok's official account issued a statement regarding the House's passage of the TikTok Ban Act, saying, "We hope the Senate will consider the facts, listen to voters' opinions, and realize the impact on the economy, 7 million small and medium-sized businesses, and the 170 million Americans who use our service."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

The TikTok Ban Act essentially prohibits the distribution of TikTok on U.S. app stores until its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, completely sells off TikTok's U.S. operations. Once the law takes effect, ByteDance must sell TikTok within six months, and if the sale fails, TikTok will no longer be available for download in the U.S. The bill stems from concerns that TikTok user data in the U.S. could be transferred to the Chinese government, posing national security risks.

Earlier that day, the U.S. House passed the TikTok Ban Act with 325 votes in favor and 65 against, leaving the Senate vote procedure pending. U.S. President Joe Biden has stated that he will sign the bill if it passes Congress.

Public opinion in China is boiling over. There are calls to strip Apple of control over all its electronic products in China to protect Chinese user data. Online, the question "Which American company could buy TikTok?" has gained traction. With the U.S. pressuring its big tech companies like Meta, Google, and Amazon over antitrust issues, the question is whether any mega-platform would be willing to take on TikTok. It is explained that companies such as Apple, Microsoft, and OpenAI would also find it difficult to acquire TikTok under the antitrust laws the U.S. has advocated. Some have suggested that Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, who has made pro-China remarks in the past, might show interest, but others assess that since he is still going through an integration period after acquiring X (formerly Twitter), it would be difficult.

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded at a briefing that "In recent years, despite the U.S. failing to find evidence that TikTok threatens U.S. national security, it has continued to suppress TikTok," adding, "They have chosen to harass because they cannot win through fair competition."

[Image source=Getty Images Yonhap News]

TikTok has encouraged some users to oppose the TikTok Ban Act and fight back. Using an app pop-up, TikTok urged users to raise their voices and call Congress to demand a vote against the bill. The pop-up even provided a search service to find local representatives by postal code. According to local media such as The Washington Post, TikTok users flooded congressional offices with protest calls. Some congressional staff reported that House members' offices received over 1,000 calls, with some periods seeing more than 20 calls per minute.

However, there are criticisms that TikTok's approach is strategically flawed. Chinese economic media Caixin cited Liu Tian, CEO of consulting firm PolicyNexus, who said, "The pop-up ultimately intensified users' emotions, which may be inefficient from a lobbying strategy perspective," adding, "It may instead demonstrate TikTok's strong mobilization capability in the U.S., further provoking some hawkish politicians." He emphasized, "Instead, TikTok should adapt and learn how to engage and communicate with both parties," and urged, "They should quickly understand the frontline election situation, clearly grasp policies after the new administration takes office, and plan to appropriately adjust their business."