The House is poised to approve a bill on Wednesday that would ban TikTok from operating in the U.S. or force a sale, with lawmakers largely shrugging off a last-minute lobbying push by the Beijing-owned service and setting the stage for a final showdown in the Senate in the spring.
The popular short-video app has faced scrutiny over the way its algorithm works to select content for users, both on sensitive issues like teen depression as well as on contentious global debates like the Israel-Hamas war. U.S. officials say TikTok’s Chinese ownership potentially gives Beijing a way to both collect data on Americans and influence public opinion, driving years of efforts to crack down on the app and culminating in the new legislation.