The possibility of banning TikTok in the US resurfaces as the House passes a bill on Wednesday, aiming to compel the app’s separation from its Chinese parent company ByteDance. The bill garnered 352 votes, surpassing the required two-thirds majority for advancement, with 65 members opposing it and one voting present.

Despite its passage in the House, the bill must still navigate the Senate, a formidable challenge. However, President Joe Biden expressed readiness to sign it into law if it clears the Senate.

The House vote reignites the aspirations of some US policymakers for the forced divestment of TikTok. Concerns over Chinese laws potentially compelling ByteDance to divulge information on American users, posing a national security threat, fuel these aspirations. Last week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously voted to advance the bill following an intelligence briefing on the risks associated with foreign adversary-controlled apps. TikTok contends that it doesn’t store US user data in China and has been devising strategies to enhance the protection of such data. Nevertheless, lawmakers remain apprehensive.

The legislation, known as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, proposes penalties for app stores and web hosting services that host TikTok, provided it remains under Chinese ownership. While ByteDance is specifically mentioned, the legislation could potentially affect other social media apps owned by companies from a select few foreign adversary countries.

Efforts to ban TikTok gained momentum last March when CEO Shou Zi Chew testified in the House for the first time. However, progress seemed to stall until recently. In 2023, a bipartisan group of senators introduced the RESTRICT Act, granting the Secretary of Commerce the authority to ban apps posing national security risks.

Despite bipartisan scrutiny faced by Chew, certain Democrats expressed reservations about a complete ban. Additionally, despite initial support from influential lawmakers, the RESTRICT Act ultimately lost momentum amidst robust lobbying efforts by TikTok and Republican concerns regarding the extent of executive branch control over the private sector.