A Top Senator Is Spearheading The TikTok Crackdown As House Bill Gains Senate Momentum

Senator Maria Cantwell is aiming to terminate China’s influence over TikTok, while ensuring that any related legislation withstands legal scrutiny.

Cantwell In Charge Of Shaping TikTok’s Fate

The House overwhelmingly approved a measure mandating TikTok to secure a new owner devoid of foreign adversary ties or face a U.S. ban.

This decision put the onus on Cantwell, the chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, known for her tech knowledge but also criticized for her past stances on user privacy and social media.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Cantwell laid out the questions she faces.

“Do we want a tool by which the United States can stop bad actors from broadcasting, if you will, into the United States with nefarious messages? And the answer is yes, we want that tool to exist,” she said. “And so now the question is: Is the House tool good enough, or do we need to make some changes to it?”

TikTok’s Countdown: ByteDance Must Divest Within A Year

Cantwell recently backed the House’s latest version of a measure potentially resulting in a U.S. ban on the social media app, reported CBS News.

TikTok owner ByteDance must divest its stake in the company within nine months or risk losing access to U.S. app stores and web-hosting services, with a potential three-month extension, CBS News added.

“I’m very happy that Speaker Johnson and House leaders incorporated my recommendation to extend the ByteDance divestment period from six months to a year,” Cantwell said in a statement. “As I’ve said, extending the divestment period is necessary to ensure there is enough time for a new buyer to get a deal done. I support the updated legislation.”

Cantwell has a diverse background in both politics and technology. She started in Indianapolis and later moved to Seattle to work on Democrat Alan Cranston’s 1984 presidential campaign, staying there even after his defeat, The Wall Street Journal added.

Nonetheless, concerns over the latest bill’s constitutionality have been raised by some lawmakers, indicating the possibility of additional issues arising. Included in the updated plan presented by Louisiana Republican Johnson earlier this week, the revised bill pairs the mandated TikTok divestment with new sanctions targeting Iran, China and Russia. 

The remaining bills in the plan allocate $26 billion to support Israel, $61 billion to strengthen Ukraine and $8 billion to counter China in the Indo-Pacific.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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