TikTok ban in US moves one step closer: Bill is passed in House of Representatives to force Chinese tech giant ByteDance to sell its stake in platform or face removal from app stores..so could it now happen in the UK? [Video]

12:14 EDT 13 Mar 2024 , updated 14:55 EDT 13 Mar 2024

The US House of Representatives today passed a Bill that would lead to a nationwide ban on TikTok if its Chinese owner refuses to sell it. 

The wildly popular video sharing app has more than 150 million American users and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Beijing-based ByteDance. 

Members of Congress fear that ByteDance is beholden to the Chinese government, which could demand access to the data of TikTok’s US any time it wants, track their locations or influence them by tweaking the algorithm. TikTok strongly denies these allegations.

The Bill requiring ByteDance to divest the app passed by a vote of 352-65, despite opposition from Donald Trump and Tesla owner Elon Musk. It will now go to the Senate, where its prospects are unclear.

TikTok is not facing the prospect of a nationwide ban in the UK, although it was banned from government devices in March 2023.