Powerful Senator Crafts TikTok Crackdown

“Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) said she wants to end China’s control of TikTok. She also wants such legislation to hold up in court. But what that bill looks like, and how quickly it could get to President Biden’s desk, remain in play, the powerful Democrat said in an interview,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The House overwhelmingly passed a measure last month that would force the short-video app to find a new owner that isn’t a foreign adversary within six months or be banned in the U.S. That put the bill in the lap of Cantwell, the chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, who has a deep experience with technology issues but has also sparked frustration among colleagues for how she handled past efforts regarding user privacy and social media.”

“Now, TikTok’s allies and critics alike see Cantwell as critical to the app’s fate.”