House passes TikTok ban bill, but its Senate path unclear

The House has passed a bill that would ban TikTok in the U.S. if its China-based owner doesn’t sell. Lawmakers are concerned the company’s current ownership structure is beholden to the Chinese government and poses a U.S. national security threat. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman accuses Washington of resorting to political tools when U.S. businesses fail to compete. The House bill now goes to the Senate, where its prospects are unclear. TikTok has more than 170 million American users and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd. A TikTok spokesman is criticizing Congress for being too secretive.