A bill that would require TikTok to separate from its Chinese owner or face expulsion from the US was overwhelmingly approved by the US House of Representatives on Wednesday.
In a rare instance of bipartisanship in politically divided Washington, the lawmakers voted 352 times in favour of the proposed legislation and 65 times against it.
The US House of Representatives was poised to vote on the bill that would outlaw TikTok unless it splits from its Chinese parent firm, ByteDance. TikTok is one of the most widely used social media apps in the world, used by 170 million Americans.
This vote, which was scheduled for this Wednesday at 10:00 am (1400 GMT), is anticipated to pass with a resounding majority in a rare instance of bipartisan cooperation in Washington.
TikTok has long been a source of concern for US officials, who point to possible threats to national security.
The owners of TikTok have consistently denied that the platform is dangerous.
Republican lawmakers Nancy Mace and Marjorie Taylor Greene both stated that they did not vote against the TikTok measure because they believed the previous president would not support it.
The White House and the bill’s co-sponsors, House Republicans Mike Gallagher and Raja Krishnamoorthi, contend that TikTok is not prohibited by the legislation as long as the firm divests from ByteDance.
As long as TikTok withdraws from ByteDance, the bill’s co-sponsors, House Republicans Mike Gallagher and Raja Krishnamoorthi, along with the White House, contend, it does not constitute a ban on the platform.
Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, earlier charged that the US was “suppressing TikTok” ahead of the vote, even though the US has “never found evidence that TikTok threatens national security.”
“This kind of bullying behaviour that cannot win in fair competition disrupts companies’ normal business activity, damages the confidence of international investors in the investment environment, and damages the normal international economic and trade order,” Mr Wang added.