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A bill would ban TikTok unless it is sold Passed He crossed the US House of Representatives on Wednesday on his way to the Senate. The bill being rushed through Congress directly names TikTok, but it also bans other apps that the president sees as a “threat to national security.” Tech lawyers worry that these vague terms could lead to other apps and websites getting banned as well.
“No one actually knows who is covered by this bill,” Eric Goldman, a professor of Internet law at Santa Clara University, said in a phone interview with Gizmodo. “We are focusing on the TikTok clip because it is clear that it will be targeted first. But the effects of this law are uncertain because we do not even know who we are talking about.”
Outside of the TikTok ban, this is the law not clear. An app or website must meet two conditions in order to be blocked. First, the app must be a large platform that allows users to create profiles to share content. This will include the Gizmodo website, where users log in to post comments, for example. Second, it must also be “controlled by a foreign adversary,” which might include an app that is “under the direction or control” of someone in Russia, China, North Korea, or Iran.
Goldman says this bill doesn’t take into account the number of apps and websites that fall under it. He was joined by 65 members of Congress in the House of Representatives who voted against this bill, many of whom say the legislation does not take into account freedom of expression or claim it was rushed – and the bill lasted only four days in the House. Goldman calls the bill a “show stunt” meant to send a signal to voters about China.
You can prove that a lot of apps fall under the TikTok ban. Russian customers Facebook groups were used to influence voters in the 2016 election. Just a few months ago, on Elon Musk’s X, the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hamas spreads misinformation while paying for promotional services And blue check marks. Would Facebook and X be “subject to the direction or control” of Russia and Iran under the definition of the TikTok bill?
“There’s a lot of room here for creative interpretation of how someone in a foreign country could be a decision-maker without being an owner,” said Evan Brown, a Chicago-based attorney who focuses on technology. “The President already has unrestricted authority to place another application on this list.”
The TikTok bill could ban apps with at least 1 million monthly users, which is roughly the size of smaller apps like Mastodon. For reference, TikTok is about a thousand times larger, with 1 billion monthly users. The wide range of apps covered by the TikTok bill, and the vague terminology for classifying them as “controlled by a foreign adversary,” give the president too much power.
The entire discussion around this bill has revolved around TikTok, but legal experts point out how this will impact the app ecosystem in America. Currently, the president and Congress have almost no power over what apps can or cannot exist, but the TikTok bill changes that. Legislation may pass through Congress quickly, but reversing the resolution is a much slower process.
To be clear, TikTok has never been loved by anyone other than parent company Bytedance. The app confirmed Congress’ concerns last week with the launch of an app Push notification campaign And asking users to contact their legislators to fight this bill. A Chinese Foreign Ministry official said that banning TikTok “will be…I come back to bite us,“Wednesday. There are legitimate claims about banning TikTok, but this bill is bigger than that.
This isn’t the first TikTok bill we’ve seen, but it may be the last, and we’ll have to live with the consequences if it becomes law. The key factor now is whether Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will bring it to the floor. Schumer noted He won’t rush the billIt remains to be seen whether senators will consider how the TikTok bill isn’t just about TikTok.
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