The US Congress has taken a major step towards taking strict action against the popular platform "TikTok," which could have far-reaching effects on social media in the country.

The bill has significant implications for the fast-growing TikTok site, famous for addictive videos and used by hundreds of millions around the world, including millions in Canada.

There are alleged concerns about risks threatening national security and young users. The counterclaim: US politicians unfairly target a China-owned company.

Here is what is happening.

The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly today, Wednesday, in favor of a bill called the Americans' Protection from Foreign-Controlled Applications Act. It was passed with largely bipartisan support, with more than three-quarters of the members supporting it.

The bill specifically cites TikTok. But it could apply to apps owned in countries classified as foreign adversaries under US law – that is, Iran, Russia, North Korea, and China.

The bill offers two options: ByteDance, based in China, will have to sell TikTok within 180 days, or TikTok will be banned in the United States. This would make it illegal for app stores and web servers there to host, maintain, distribute, or feature the site.

The original sponsor of the bill, Republican Congressman Mike Gallagher, said: "This is my message to TikTok: Break away from the Chinese Communist Party or lose access to your American users."

Fate in the Senate: To be determined

For the bill to become law, it still needs the approval of the US Senate. This is by no means guaranteed.

In fact, it is common for bills to pass in one chamber and stall in the other. This has happened regarding gun control, climate change, immigration, and recently, aid to Ukraine.

So far, the US Senate remains undecided.

It is worth noting the Senate has its own bill on social media which would force all major platforms to reform their practices.

The Senate's Online Child Safety Act does not specifically target TikTok. It requires all platforms to implement new safeguards against bullying, sexual exploitation, and suicide talk; open their algorithms to researchers; allow parental monitoring; and prepare annual risk and harm reports.

This broader bill appears to have sufficient support to pass in the Senate.

For his part, Josh Golin, executive director of Fairplay For Kids, an online safety advocacy group, said: "[This bill] is very important."

"Right now, the only way these platforms make design decisions is: "Will this increase young people's time and activity on our site – so we can make more money?"

His group fears Congress will approve the TikTok bill but then ignore the broader bill.

If both chambers approve either bill, it will require the signature of US President Joe Biden. The president has already indicated he will sign the TikTok bill.

China imposes restrictions on Western apps, routinely blocking major platforms and even news sites under what is known as the Great Firewall in that country.

Complaints about TikTok

US officials do not believe assurances that TikTok data is protected from the Chinese government just because its servers are outside China.

They say that under Chinese law, the parent company, ByteDance, must take orders from the central government; its staff includes Chinese government employees and members of the ruling party.

Leaked audio from internal TikTok meetings shows that user data is frequently accessed from China. The parent company of TikTok is alleged to have helped build a Chinese system to suppress Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim ethnic group in Xinjiang province. A former employee alleges it also helped authorities track protesters in Hong Kong.

US law enforcement agencies are reportedly investigating after the company confirmed it monitored US journalists' locations and data.

ByteDance officials resigned and were fired over the incident.

The recently released annual report from the US Director of National Intelligence alleges the Chinese propaganda arm used TikTok accounts to target candidates from both political parties in the 2022 US midterm elections.

The company angered US politicians last week by encouraging tens of millions of users to bombard members of Congress with complaints about the potential ban.

Republican Dan Crenshaw said, "And this is just the beginning. Imagine when China wants to use it more maliciously? Imagine when they really want to engage in psychological warfare against the American people."

"That’s why we’re very concerned about this. Not because we’re old and angry, and don’t understand TikTok."

The company confirmed it is privately owned and spends over a billion US dollars partnering with US-based Oracle to store user data in Texas.

Regarding child safety, Golin said all social media giants do harm.

For example, he cited an allegation against Facebook in a lawsuit. Employees warned CEO Mark Zuckerberg that a photo filter mimicking plastic surgery harms young girls’ mental health – but he ignored it.

Golin said he has seen anecdotes – but no conclusive evidence – that TikTok is particularly addictive.

He cited one such anecdote from a major personal injury lawsuit. It describes a popular social media strategy relying on behavioral psychology developed from old experiments with lab rats.

TikTok is alleged to use this technique, "intermittent variable rewards," to prevent users from logging off; the algorithm has an idea of the videos the user wants but does not show them all at once, instead spacing them out as it sees fit.

Golin said: "All sites use the same techniques. It’s just a matter of who has the secret sauce that might be a little more effective at this point."

He added, "TikTok seems to be more Machiavellian and successful." "What people constantly say is, like, 'I didn’t even know I wanted to watch this video until TikTok sent it to me. And the next thing I knew, it was three hours later."

Trump’s surprise

There is a famous Republican who opposed the bill, which surprised his party. In a surprising announcement, Donald Trump came out against it last week.

Trump tried to ban the app as president. He still asserts there are security concerns but now says he opposes this move because it will help Facebook, another enemy of Trump.

Here is an element Trump did not mention: money.

Jeff Yass, the biggest donor to Club For Growth, one of the biggest political spending groups in the country, also happens to be the largest US investor in TikTok with shares worth billions. He is reportedly threatening to cut funds to politicians who support the TikTok bill.

Despite the dispute between them, Trump said several weeks ago that he had returned to a good relationship with Yass and Club For Growth.

The bill has divided Trump allies.

One of its strongest defenders in Congress, Elise Stefanik, signed on as a co-sponsor; other Trump-supporting groups strongly back it.

But some liberals and public figures like Tucker Carlson and Elon Musk side with Trump here. As does Kellyanne Conway, a Trump ally, who reportedly was appointed to lobby for TikTok.

Is it unprecedented? Yes or no

Has there been a similar case of a massive information platform used by hundreds of millions forced to divest or disappear? Not exactly.

But it is a new development of an old practice.

According to an article in the Stanford Law Review, the US has periodically cited national security to restrict foreign presence in some industries since the republic’s dawn – including banking, shipping, radio, aviation, and energy, starting from the 1790s.

The US has also blocked foreign ownership bids for American companies several times during the past decade. And in almost every case, it concerned Chinese attempts to buy US-based tech companies.

The context behind all this? The US rivalry with China, and fears it might someday escalate into open conflict over Taiwan.