Our Bureau
Washington
US lawmakers on Wednesday cited the bold move by India to ban TikTok 4 years ago as they voted in support of legislation about the Chinese app. In a major bipartisan move, the House of Representatives passed by 352 to 65 votes the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act co-authored by Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat, and Congressman Mike Gallaghe from the Republican party.
The bill, which seeks to control the ownership of foreign apps like TikTok in the US, now heads to the Senate for it to be sent to the White House for the President to sign it into law.
In 2020, India banned 59 Chinese-created apps, including TikTok, emphasising their priority to defend India’s national security, said the office of Congressman Greg Murphy in a statement. TikTok is used by China to target, surveil and manipulate American citizens,” Murphy said. The app collects sensitive user data that is shared with the Chinese Communist Party and its intelligence services. Under its current ownership, it presents a grave national security threat,” he said.
The White House said this bill when passed by the Senate would be signed into law by the president. The bill requires TikTok to sever its ties with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to help protect the data of tens of millions of Americans especially children and mitigate national security risks posed by the brutal regime.
