On March 7, 2024, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act was unanimously approved by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce committee.

The act mandates that ByteDance must divest from TikTok within 165 days or face a ban in the United States.

The legislation is designed to safeguard national security by empowering the President to label social media apps as national security threats if they are controlled by foreign adversaries.

TikTok, owned by ByteDance, is specifically identified in the bill as a foreign adversary controlled application but could remain operational in the U.S. if a divestiture occurs.

TikTok and the ACLU have challenged the bill, claiming it infringes on First Amendment rights, and have encouraged public opposition to the bill.

The bill's future in the Senate remains uncertain, highlighting the broader context of concerns regarding Chinese influence and data privacy in American technology.