Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese Army is continuing its investigations and will later announce any information that does not affect the confidentiality of the investigation
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: It has not yet been determined whether the detainees belong to ISIS or another organization
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Around 10 people of different nationalities, including Lebanese nationals, were detained
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese army arrested a number of people in the Matn area of Mount Lebanon with possession it has not disclosed
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: We have strong indications that there are martyrs, injuries, and trapped people in the Salah al-Din area
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Citizens should avoid Salah al-Din Street because anyone who approaches it is at risk of being directly targeted
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Reality is that there is a very limited retreat of the vehicles, with the occupation forces providing cover undeer fire up to Salah al-Din Street
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Claims that the Israeli occupation has withdrawn from areas in the neighborhoods of al-Zaytoun, al-Tuffah, and al-Shujaiya are false
Hamas: The two delegations stressed that any negotiations must lead to the achievement of our people's goals and aspirations, foremost among which is ending the war and the complete withdrawal of enemy forces
Hamas: A delegation from the Hamas leadership, led by the head of the leadership council, Mohammad Darwish, met with an Islamic Jihad delegation, headed by its Secretary-General, Ziyad al-Nakhalah

TikTok ban: US House panel advances bill

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 1 Mar 2023 23:20
4 Min Read

Amid criticism that the proposal threatens free speech, a GOP-led House panel has advanced legislation empowering US President Joe Biden to ban TikTok.

  • x
  • The TikTok logo is seen on a cell phone. (AP)
    The TikTok logo seen on a cell phone (AP)

A panel of US legislators voted Wednesday to approve legislation that would make it easier to ban the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok, despite warnings that the measure would jeopardize freedom of speech.

The Republican-led House Foreign Affairs Committee passed the Deterring America's Technological Adversaries (DATA) Act on a party-line vote, but it will meet criticism from free speech advocates and Democrats when it comes up for votes in the full House and Senate.

"My bill mandates the administration to ban TikTok or any software applications that threaten US national security," said the committee's chairman Michael McCaul.

"And make no mistake -- TikTok is a security threat. It allows (China) to manipulate and monitor its users while it gobbles up Americans' data to be used for their malign activities," he added.

By providing an exception for "sensitive personal data," the measure seeks to challenge a 1980s amendment that barred the government from blocking the free flow of visual entertainment between foreign countries.

It calls for the administration to apply penalties, including bans, on companies found to have knowingly provided TikTok user data to "any foreign individual."

According to a TikTok representative, the firm is "disappointed to see this rushed piece of legislation move forward" in Congress.

"A US ban on TikTok is a ban on the export of American culture and values to the billion-plus people who use our service worldwide," Spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter said in a statement.

The American Civil Liberties Union stated in a letter to the committee on Monday that the proposal would violate the First Amendment rights of millions of Americans.

Related News

US House to vote on bill criminalizing boycott of 'Israel'

US House passes bill to sanction ICC for targeting 'Israel'

The big picture

In December 2022, following "concerns" from the FBI director and cybersecurity experts that China may exploit the social media platform, TikTok, for allegedly spying on US citizens, Senator Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and a bipartisan pair of congressmen in the House proposed a bill that would prohibit TikTok in the United States.

The bill, according to the statement, would "protect Americans by blocking and prohibiting all transactions from any social media company in, or under the influence of, China, Russia, and several other foreign countries of concern."

The bill will also explicitly designate TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, as social media firms for the purposes of the legislation.

The US actions contrast with the protracted discussions that TikTok has had with the US government for years over a potential agreement that may enable the company to handle national security issues and to continue providing services to US consumers.

It's noteworthy that the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) banned, in November, equipment authorizations for video surveillance equipment or telecoms manufactured by Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE, calling them "a threat to national security."

According to the order, the restriction builds on efforts by the Commission, Congress, and the Biden administration to take unprecedented action as they continue to pressure China and challenge the One China policy.

Beijing has categorically rejected western accusations of potential cyber-attacks on government devices. 

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the US has overstretched the concept of national security and abused state power to quash foreign businesses. 

The White House provided federal agencies a period of 30 days to remove TikTok on all federal devices. 

In response to the move, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning on Tuesday said, "We firmly oppose those wrong actions."

Read more: TikTok takes further steps to maintain operations in the US: Reuters

  • US House
  • US
  • TikTok ban
  • GOP-led House

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
The Freedom Flotilla ship Handala as it departs for Gaza, where it aims to break the maritime blockade at a port in Syracuse, Sicily in southern Italy on July 13, 2025. (AFP)
Palestine

Freedom Flotilla's Handala departs Sicily in bid to break Gaza siege

The container ship CMA CGM Laperouse, left, docks at the Georgia Ports Authority's Port of Savannah, Sept. 29, 2021, in Savannah, Ga (AP)
Politics

US shipbuilding woes deepen as tariffs, outdated policies backfire

Gaza war raises ethical questions for ex-Obama, Biden officials
Politics

Mercenary firm tied to Gaza war crimes hires Obama-Biden PR operatives

'Israel' targets children in Gaza collecting water
Palestine

'Israel' strikes Gaza kids fetching water, blames it on 'malfunction'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS