Sherrill’s Bill To Protect Americans from TikTok’s National Security Threats Passes House

Washington, DC — Today, the House of Representatives passed legislation sponsored by Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which will strengthen U.S. national security and protect Americans on social media apps. The bill passed with an overwhelming bipartisan majority. 

“There is no question that the Chinese government’s influence over ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, is a national security threat. The CCP uses TikTok to silence free speech and dissent in the United States and abroad, to intimidate and spy on journalists, to undermine democracy and our values, and to promote propaganda that is favorable to autocratic rulers like President Xi. Today, the House took a meaningful step forward to force the CCP to divest from TikTok so that American users can continue to utilize this platform without foreign interference, encroachment on their privacy, or censorship of speech. I urge the Senate to pass this legislation and to not listen to the lies being pushed by TikTok on what the bill does. The President is ready to sign this into law; let’s get it to his desk,” said Rep. Sherrill. 

The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act creates a rules-based process by which the President can restrict the app store availability and access to U.S.-based web hosting services of foreign adversary-controlled social media applications, including TikTok, unless they sever ties to the foreign adversary controlled-company. Learn more about the bill here. 

At a press conference focused on this bill with fellow members of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the CCP, Sherrill called on the Energy and Commerce Committee to advance the legislation as quickly as possible, which they did unanimously, voting 50-0. 

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