House panel unanimously passes bill to ban TikTok in US, final vote as early as next week

A GOP-led House committee has unanimously passed a bill that attempts to ban TikTok nationwide on all electronic devices.

The bill passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday and could get a final vote as early as next week, amid concerns about the China-based owner of the popular, short-form video platform giving user data to the Chinese Communist Party.

The measure calls for prohibiting TikTok from being in U.S. app stores, and available for download, unless it is separated from China-linked parent company ByteDance, according to CNN.

CEO Shou Chew testified last year on Capitol Hill that the app poses no threat to Americans.

The bill has some bipartisan support in the House and backing from the White House, with concerns about China spying largely having first been a big major issue among Republicans. 

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said in a post on X on Thursday evening the bill will get a floor vote next week, CNN also reports.

The fate of the bill appears less certain in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell, chairwoman of the Senate Commerce Committee, has made no firm commitment to advance the proposal, CNN also reports, amid a huge lobbying effort by TikTok prevent such Washington efforts.

An estimate 170 million Americans now use TikTok.