PORTLAND, Ore. — The U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of a bill on Wednesday that demands TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sell or face a ban in the United States.
ByteDance would have 180 days to make the change. If the company doesn't divest from TikTok by then, it would become illegal for app stores such as those offered by Apple and Google to make the app available for download.
"So many people and businesses depend on TikTok," said Julia Martin.
Martin and her sister-in-law Piper Stewart are TikTok creators. The two of them upcycle furniture and post videos of their work on social media. Their account, @figandferniture, boasts 24,000 followers on TikTok and over 100,000 on Instagram.
"It took a lot of work to get there, and I can't even imagine starting back at ground zero," Stewart said.
Both Martin and Stewart rely on the platform for income — not from views or likes, but from brand deals.
"I'd say at least half of our money comes from brand deals," Stewart said.
"We work with a ton of paint brands and hardware brands, and they pay us to make them content," Martin explained.
They're so successful that Martin was able to quit her day job. The two women are grateful for the extra income and the flexibility it grants them to be present with their children. They say the threat of losing this platform is worrisome.
Both Martin and Stewart are encouraging users to push back; TikTok is asking for the same.
Democratic Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington's 3rd Congressional district said that many, including children, have done just that. However, she doesn't see it as a sign of the app's value.
"Before you could open the app, it would say 'Congress is trying to ban it. Call your Rep. right now,'" Gluesenkamp Perez said. "It would call our offices directly and so we had like 8-year-olds calling us, screaming at us. We had kids calling saying, 'I'm going to kill myself if you ban this.'"
She said this is evidence that the owners of the app are influencing American children. But the main concern among legislators is that the Chinese government could be harvesting American data and threatening national security.
"Would I allow the Chinese Communist Party in my home every single day? It's in our homes because it's on those apps, and it's with our children," said Republican Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer. "I think we recognize where China is as far as having a crack where they feel like they can exercise their power. "
Chavez-DeRemer, who represents Oregon's 5th Congressional district, called this a "simple vote." Both she and Gluesenkamp Perez voted in favor of the bill.
"There are so many avenues for free expression, and I respect the work that people have put in, but that relationship means that China continues to exert more influence on those folks," Gluesenkamp Perez said.
Martin and Stewart said that they're not concerned about the Chinese government. They see this as a battle for free speech — not just when it comes to TikTok, but every social media site.
"Our information could get leaked on Meta; how is that any different?" Stewart pointed out. "Who's to say they're not going to do that to Instagram?"
Chavez-DeRemer and Gluesenkamp Perez both said it's possible lawmakers could go after other media sites like X and Meta.
For now, the bill heads to the Senate, where its future is uncertain.
Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley is currently reviewing the bill, according to press secretary Molly Prescott, who said he believes it's critical to protect user's private data on TikTok and other social media platforms.
"He also is concerned about potential national security risks that stem from foreign ownership of large social media platforms and whether American ownership would solve these risks," Prescott said. "As the Senate considers potential legislation, Senator Merkley is interested in solutions that safeguard civil liberties and prevent U.S. adversaries from sowing hate and division."
Democratic Senator Ron Wyden tweeted about the bill on Thursday, saying that he intends to take a long, hard look at the bill before making a decision.