What the potential TikTok ban means, and what’s next for the bill

TikTok, the immensely popular social media app whose China based parent company has given rise to concerns about data security and foreign influence,...

TikTok, the immensely popular social media app whose China-based parent company has given rise to concerns about data security and foreign influence, is once again in Congress’s crosshairs.

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted 352-65 to approve a bill requiring TikTok either be divested from ByteDance, its Beijing-based owner, or face a nationwide ban. The bill, called the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, now heads to the Senate.

It’s the latest front in a years-long battle to limit the app, which features short videos in a swipe-able Instagram-like interface. In 2020, President Donald Trump attempted to ban it through an executive order, but courts blocked his move after TikTok sued.

Here’s what to know about the bill.What’s behind the push to ban TikTok?

Congressional Republicans have led some of the most aggressive proposals against TikTok, although some of those efforts have won the support of Democrats.