U.S. House passes bipartisan TikTok ban, but attracts Florida dissent from both parties

Marco Rubio wants TikToc out of the U.S. Image via AP.

The U.S. House overwhelmingly passed legislation that could shut down TikTok in the U.S. Members from both parties backed the bill in a 352-65 vote, but Floridians from both sides of the issue were among dissenters.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost was among 50 Democrats to vote “no” on the bill. Additionally, Republican U.S. Reps. Matt Gaetz and Greg Steube were among just 15 Republicans to do the same.

“This legislation is an infringement of our constitutional right to freedom of speech that also places a nearly impossible condition for the app to be sold within six months or less — it’s unrealistic,” said Frost, an Orlando Democrat and the youngest member of Congress.

“This bill does not solve our data privacy problems and harms innocent users whose very livelihood and existence is supported by this app. Count me out.”

But most Florida lawmakers, regardless of party, backed the legislation, which would disconnect TikTok in the U.S. unless the application parts ways with ByteDance, a Chinese company invested in the platform.

The fact that TikTok won’t sever the tie despite a potential financial windfall tells everything Congress needs to know, said U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, a Gainesville Republican. She spoke about the issue on the House floor.

“We aren’t banning a company, as the high paid lobbyists for ByteDance, which is owned by China, would lead you to believe,” she said.

“We aren’t infringing on constitutionally protected speech or growing the size of government. All we’re saying is break up with the Chinese Communist Party. As a constitutional conservative, I don’t want my government or big tech to have unfettered access to my private data. So why in the hell would we want and allow the Chinese Communist Party to have access to our private data?”

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat, classified TikTok with its current corporate structure as an “urgent national security issue.” But she said the platform itself can remain available if its leadership separates itself from China’s government interests.

“Congress is working to protect access to TikTok while addressing the national security threat posed by the Chinese Community Party,” she said in a statement.

“Americans value their privacy and security. They do not like to be tracked, surveilled, followed, fed propaganda, or manipulated by the CCP. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, which is headquartered in Beijing and is subject to control by the CCP. The CCP currently works to undermine American interests, steal our technology, and suppress human rights. Meanwhile, TikTok gathers massive amounts of personal data that can be used to target, surveil and manipulate Americans.”

But Steube, a Sarasota Republican and staunch conservative, was perhaps the biggest surprise in the delegation with his vote against the bill. He, like Frost, said he has concerns about foreign countries keeping personal data from Americans, but considered the bill before Congress to be taking the wrong approach.

“I’ve read the bill and am extremely concerned its text could be weaponized against conservatives and social media sites like X and Truth Social,” he posted on X, citing concerns about the broad language around “foreign adversary controlled” applications.

“At no point in the bill is the term ‘subject to the direction or control of a foreign person’ defined,” Steube continued. “It doesn’t even require that this ‘foreign person’ be an agent of a foreign adversary. It is literally anyone who is in that country. If subsection (C) was removed from this bill, I would be supportive of the bill. But the fact is, this bill gives tremendous leeway to the executive branch to determine what this phrase means, and ambiguity in the law opens the door to abuse.”

Steube said he’s concerned after years of Democrats saying that Russia controls former President Donald Trump, the likely Republican nominee this year, and that Congress could use the law to quash pro-Trump online activity.

Ironically, Frost also sees the bill as a potential tool to silence dissent from his side of the aisle, and suggested online platforms are about the only remaining place in Florida where criticism of Gov. Ron DeSantis can thrive.

“I refuse to spring a TikTok ban on my constituents who, under the neo-fascist control of Governor DeSantis, rely on social media for income, information and community,” he said.