The United States House of Representatives has approved a bill that could potentially lead to a nationwide ban of the popular social media platform TikTok if its Beijing-based parent company ByteDance does not sell the subsidiary. Lawmakers in the U.S. have expressed concerns about the app's ties to China and the potential risks it poses to American users in terms of data security and exposure to Beijing's influences. Despite TikTok's efforts to distance itself from its Chinese roots and reassure U.S. lawmakers that data on American users stays in the country and is not accessible to ByteDance employees in Beijing, the bill passed with an overwhelming majority of 352-65 votes.

The bill, if approved by the Senate and signed into law by President Joe Biden, could have significant implications for TikTok's survival in the U.S. market. The move reflects the broader challenges faced by Chinese tech companies with global ambitions as they navigate the increasingly tense U.S.-China relations. Experts point out that these companies are caught between the heavy-handed communist party in China, which requires them to comply with strict laws and rules, and the deeply suspicious Western countries, particularly the U.S.

TikTok's founder Zhang Yiming has previously aligned with the Chinese government's directives, including making public apologies for deviating from socialistic core values and implementing stricter censoring measures on its platforms. The bill approved by the House aims to sever ties between U.S. companies and those subject to control by foreign adversaries like China, emphasizing the need for TikTok to break away from the Chinese Communist Party or risk losing access to American users.

While TikTok's CEO Shou Zi Chew has repeatedly denied any allegiance to the Chinese Communist Party and assured Congress that the company does not promote content on behalf of the Chinese government, concerns about its Chinese origins persist. The company has made efforts to earn trust and address the "trust deficit" associated with its Chinese roots by protecting user data, being transparent, and not allowing manipulation by any government. However, the bill's sponsor, Rep. Mike Gallagher, has made it clear that TikTok's ties to China are unacceptable in the eyes of U.S. lawmakers, highlighting the challenges faced by Chinese companies seeking to expand globally while navigating geopolitical tensions.