TikTok has gone from being mostly known as the go-to spot for wacky dancing cat videos to a serious partisan and geopolitical lightning rod that’s forcing Congress to act.
Setting aside bitter election year divisions, the House of Representatives this past week overwhelmingly passed a bill that would force the app’s Chinese company to sell it or face an effective ban in the U.S.
But despite the lopsided and broadly bipartisan 352 to 65 vote, it remains far from clear what will happen next and what it could mean for TikTok and its billion number of loyal users.
Here are some takeaways:
What’s wrong with TikTok?
Some users might not perceive much difference between TikTok and other apps that involve scrolling from one piece of content to another.
But many national security and cybersecurity experts say TikTok poses a much bigger threat.
“TikTok’s different,” Federal Communications Commission member Brendan Carr said before the vote.
American officials say TikTok owner ByteDance is obligated by Chinese law to provide user data to the Chinese government, including details about Americans.
“China can access the massive amount of data that the app collects on its users,” said Sarah Bauerle Danzman, a fellow with the Atlantic Council, including real-time location data, contact lists, passwords and banking activity.
Chris Krebs, a former federal official and cybersecurity expert, says data collection is only one worry about TikTok.
He points to the app’s algorithm which one study showed promotes destructive tendencies, like self-harm and eating disorders, far more than other
TikTok suits the needs of America’s adversaries by stoking political and cultural divisions.
“They’re inserting themselves into internal domestic political discourse,” Krebs told CBS News. “They’re putting us at each other’s throats.”
American cybersecurity experts also say TikTok can be also used for espionage, perhaps by using data to recruit spies or gleaning damaging information to blackmail prominent individuals or government officials.
Rep. Michael McCaul, the Republican chair of the foreign affairs committee, called the app a “spy balloon in your phone.”
What would the TikTok bill do?
Experts and proponents stress that the bill is not a TikTok ban — at least not right away.
It gives ByteDance, the app’s Chinese owner, six months to sell it. If the company refuses, the app would effectively be barred from being downloaded in the U.S.
Many experts predict ByteDance would simply sell the app or its American operations for a healthy profit if the bill is enacted and a deadline looms.
“It’s not a ban. You’re still going to have your Tik Tok and investors are going to make a ton of money,” Scott Galloway, a New York University business professor, said on his Prof G podcast. “Money always wins.”
What happens next with the bill?
The measure goes on to the Senate, where it faces a decidedly uncertain future.
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has refused to commit to taking up the bill anytime soon, only saying that he will confer with committee leaders about a possible path forward.
If the bill does get a shot in the Senate, it seems it will likely take a slower and more deliberative road than in the House, where it passed with lightning speed.
Who’s for it and who’s against?
President Biden says he will sign the bill if it passes. Former President Trump once said he supported a TikTok ban but now says he’s against it.
Looking under the two parties’ hoods, things are a bit more complicated.
Most of the limited opposition in the House came from progressive Democrats and younger lawmakers, who may be more attuned to the loyal devotion it inspires from users. Among the no votes were New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Jamaal Bowman and Rep. Nydia Velazquez.
But a handful of hardline pro-Trump right-wingers also objected, with some pointing to the need to protect freedom of speech for right-wing voices on the app.
How big is TikTok?
More than 170 million people in the U.S., or about half the population, use TikTok, the app says. Worldwide, more than 1 billion users are on it.
Along with entertainment, countless small businesses hawk their wares and services with catchy videos on the site. It’s also a place for harsh political debate, which analysts say leads to polarization and radicalization.
Will there be political fallout from the controversy?
It’s very unclear.
Some Democrats believe Biden will score political points by showing he can be tough on China.
But others say anyone who takes aim at TikTok may lose the support of millions of young people who love it.
Trump, on the other hand, could look weak on Beijing by reversing his previous support for the ban.
But some of the former president’s right-wing allies say MAGA propaganda thrives on TikTok and the app is a big part of the GOP’s 2024 campaign.
“We are making tremendous progress with Gen-Z,” GOP strategist Alex Bruesewitz told Axios. “MAGA content does very well on TikTok.”
Who might buy TikTok?
Billionaire Steve Mnuchin says he is lining up a group of deep-pocketed investors to buy the multi-billion dollar app.
The former treasury secretary in the Trump administration supports the anti-TikTok bill and says a media company of its reach should not be in foreign hands.
“There’s no way that the Chinese would ever let a U.S. company own something like this in China,” Mnuchin said.
What will China do?
Beijing insists it won’t permit ByteDance to sell TikTok if the law is passed.
It accuses Congress of “bullying” and could retaliate against American companies doing business in China, although analysts say it’s unlikely to take any drastic steps because they could backfire on their own sputtering economy.
China already bars American social media companies from operating freely in their country.
“It’ll be one more straw on the camel’s back as far as the China relationship goes,” said Ian Bremmer of the Eurasia Group, which studies global risks.
