TikTok faces stronger political pushback in US with bipartisan bill targeting Chinese apps even as popularity grows

New legislation introduced by US Senator Marco Rubio would ban transactions with apps from China, Russia and other ‘countries of concern’. TikTok has denied that it is a threat to US national security and has recently been seeking to expand ecommerce operations in the country. — SCMP

TikTok, the most popular Chinese app in overseas markets, is facing growing political pushback in the US with a new bipartisan bill that seeks to ban it even as the app’s popularity remains strong and it continues to win users, advertisers and merchants.

Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who has repeatedly warned about national security risks from the short video app owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, introduced a nine-page bill to block all transactions with TikTok in the US as a way to protect Americans. US Representatives Mike Gallagher, a Republican from Wisconsin, and Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Illinois, introduced companion legislation in the House.