Could the US ban TikTok? Legislation would force app to break from parent company or get kicked off app stores

A rapidly advancing proposal from members of Congress could present one of the biggest threats yet to TikTok’s future in the US.

Bipartisan legislation from the House of Representatives would force the China-based platform to sell off a controlling share or face removal from US app stores.

House Republicans have proposed bringing the bill to the floor for a vote as soon as this week, though it’s unclear whether a similar proposal can survive the Democratically controlled Senate, which has yet to produce any kind of companion legislation.

However, in recent days, President Joe Biden and his Republican rival Donald Trump have each weighed in, throwing a political wrench into TikTok’s future in the middle of an election year.

The president has signalled that he would sign the legislation into law, while Mr Trump appears to have reversed his position and now suggests that he would not support a measure that could effectively ban TikTok in the US.

Their opposition could tee up a significant political question as millions of young Americans, including eight million newly eligible young voters, prepare to cast their ballots in the 2024 elections.

If signed into law, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act – co-authored by a group of Republican lawmakers investigating the Chinese Communist Party – would allow federal law enforcement agencies to list certain apps as national security threats if they are determined to be under the control of foreign adversaries.

Those apps would then be banned from US app stores unless they sever ties with those entities within 180 days.

The measure follows pressure from members of Congress and officials across the US to force TikTok’s parent company ByteDance