On Feb. 28, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs held a meeting to discuss the Deterring America’s Technological Adversaries Act, an act that could affect the availability of TikTok for citizens in the U.S. As of March 2, the White House ordered all government agencies to delete the app from all government devices.

The bill addresses TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, and gives President Biden the ability to impose a nation-wide ban on the app if it is discovered that the company has intentionally communicated data to anyone under the influence of the Chinese government. 

“Sanctions would also be required if the Biden administration finds the companies helped the Chinese government engage in surveillance, hacking, censorship, or intelligence gathering,” CNN Business writer Brian Fung said in an article.

If the bill is passed, there might be interference with the Berman Amendment, which restricts the government from withholding internet material such as pictures, videos, and social media content being internationally communicated. 

According to the public domain court case of Marland v. Trump, in January of 2021, TikTok creator Douglas Marland sued former President Trump for signing an order that would ban the app due to threats to America’s security. Marland claimed that the ban was illegal because it violated the Berman Amendment. 

“A construction of IEEPA sanctioned by this Court that would allow the government to ban a particular newspaper from the United States is not a constitutionally permissible reading, let alone a reasonable one,” the case stated.

One reason that this ban is so controversial is that many online content creators are dependent on this platform for money. The ban could be detrimental to the livelihoods of many social media influencers. 

“A ban on TikTok in the U.S. would immediately change how influencers and content creators operate, as it would remove what has become one of the most popular platforms,” said Peter Suciu at Forbes magazine.

Many people across the country, especially teens, are upset at the idea of TikTok being banned. TikTok has become a space where people can express themselves and communicate their opinions. It has also become a platform for spreading international news and introducing people to new cultures.

“A U.S. ban on TikTok is a ban on the export of American culture and values to the billion-plus people who use our service worldwide,” said TikTok Public Affairs professional Brooke Oberwetter.

Though the ban is starting only on government-issued devices, it is uncertain how this ban might impact personal devices moving forward.