We are shortly going to be bringing an end to our coverage of the House of Representatives debate on TikTok's future in the US.

The next step is for senators to thoroughly scrutinise the bill, which could force a ban on TikTok, unless the app's parent company ByteDance sells its US operations. TikTok has urged lawmakers to listen to their constituents.

The future of TikTok in the US might well be lingering in the balance, but for the latest on the story head here.

Thanks for joining us.

This live page was edited by Emily McGarvey, Sam Hancock and Francesca Gillett. The writers were Bernd Debusmann Jr, Brandon Drenon and Mike Wendling in Washington DC, as well as Thomas Mackintosh in London.

Is this a test case for how US reacts to rivals?published at 17:25 Greenwich Mean Time 13 March

17:25 GMT 13 March

Joe Tidy
Cyber correspondent

Another big step towards a potential ban on TikTok in the US then. An incredible moment in globalisation history.

Until TikTok, US tech giants have ruled the roost online so could this be a test case for what happens when a rival nation builds a large US customer base?

It makes you wonder about how US policy will react to the rise of other Chinese online brands. Shein and Temu are currently top of the iPhone download charts, for example. And CapCut (owned by the same parent company as TikTok) is number 33.

With TikTok there's no strong evidence that it's collecting more data than Instagram or Facebook.

This is about a perceived risk that China might harvest US user data to harm the US. But, as I wrote last year - this theoretical risk is not something China ever has to worry about. China doesn't have to worry about US apps because access for Chinese citizens has been blocked for many years.

Nomia Iqbal
Reporting from Washington

Groups of content creators have been protesting outside the White House. Carrying signs that say #KeepTikTok, they are furious at the House’s bill.

Linzi Taylor (@harrizonadream), born in Massachusetts, from Arizona says that TikTok is like “home”. She says as well as creating a community, that’s where her business thrives.

“I have more subscribers on YouTube but TikTok is where I make money. It’s my livelihood - I started my business in honour of my son during the pandemic. It was also important for mental health.”

Is it an issue as a voter, I ask, to which she says "absolutely".

"Why would I vote for someone who wants to take away my voice? And my business.”

Callie Goodwin (@sparksofjoyco) has come from Columbia, South Carolina.

“I run my small business off TikTok - 98% of my orders come from there. Taking away TikTok would destroy my business," she says, adding:

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from Washington DC

Image source, Getty Images

Speaking at a news conference, Hakeem Jeffries, the House of Representatives minority leader, says the bill passed in a "bipartisan and decisive fashion" - an increasingly uncommon occasion in the heavily partisan House.

Members of the House seem to have rallied around this point, made by Jeffries, after clarifying the bill wasn't an outright ban on TikTok:

"It's simply a divestiture of TikTok so that this social media platform can be owned by an American company that would protect the data and the privacy of the American consumer from malignant foreign interests like the Chinese Communist Party," Jeffries says.

Kerry Allen
Chinese media analyst

China’s foreign ministry has put out a series of statements on X, formerly Twitter, which appear to be a response to the US House vote.

Featuring a picture of foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, one says:

This is followed by a post that reads:

Beijing has long criticised attempts to suppress Chinese companies in the US under suggestions they are a national security threat, calling such moves “unfair market competition”.

Given that the US presidential election looms, there are perceptions in Chinese media that going hard on China is nothing more than political posturing, to win votes and unite an increasingly polarised America.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from outside the White House

I've just spent the last hour or so speaking to TikTok "creators" protesting at the White House.

Many are seething with anger at what they perceive as a danger to their livelihoods and an infringement on their free speech rights.

Among them is Ophelia Nichols, an Alabama-based creator who says: "I'm frustrated, disappointed and angry. I don't like people making decisions about my livelihood with my input."

"There are 170 million uses on TikTok and seven million are small businesses," she adds. "Shame on them, at the House."

Nichols - who says she worries that TikTok would eventually be banned on the US - adds that she believes signing such a bill into law would ultimately haunt President Biden.

"It will absolutely affect him," she says, adding that there'll be 170 million annoyed people "if it gets to his desk and he bans it".

US lawmakers have approved a bill that could lead to the app being banned.

But there are thousands of Americans who rely on the short form video platform to share resources, stay informed and even make an income.

The BBC spoke to two influencers about the potential impacts.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from outside the White House

Among the TikTokers protesting today is Tiffany Yu, a young disability advocate from Los Angeles.

She says TikTok has helped her reach "millions" for her advocacy efforts. "Fifteen years ago I only dreamed of reaching 30 to 40 people," she says. "TikTok did that."

Yu adds that she wants "a little more transparency about the conversations happening among our representatives", regarding TikTok.

"But I feel hopeful. We did have advocates in the House and we hope we can translate that over to the Senate."

She also says she doesn't quite understand the concerns that have sparked the bill.

"There are 170 million Americans with us," she says. "It makes me wonder whether those people are afraid of our ability to mobilise."

Imran Rahman-Jones
Technology reporter

TikTok’s chief executive Shou Zi Chew is on Capitol Hill to meet senators in what sources are saying was a “pre-arranged trip”. Clearly, the issue of the vote will be top of the agenda.

The Singaporean CEO is no stranger to speaking to senators. He and other social media bosses appeared before them in January.

Then, he was repeatedly asked about TikTok’s links to China and also whether he was affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party, to which he replied: “No, senator. Again, I’m Singaporean.”

It’s another example of the exasperation TikTok executives can feel when repeatedly quizzed about the company’s links to China. But questions have been asked about how much power Chew really has at the company.

• Shou Zi Chew: Who is the TikTok CEO?

Brandon Drenon
Reporting from Washington DC

Since a majority of the House of Representatives voted to pass the so-called TikTok bill, some members have come to its defence while others have been on the attack.

Democratic Rep Raja Krishnamoorthi, who supports the bill, has continued to express concerns about China's ability to access US user data through the app, accusing ByteDance - TikTok's China-backed owner - of not being "candid" about its relationship to Beijing.

However, Republican Kentucky lawmaker Thomas Massie, who opposes the bill, says it's been written too "broadly" and "the president could abuse that discretion and include other companies that aren't just social media companies".

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

Just under a quarter of Americans aged 13-15 say the app is their favourite social media platform, according to a recent analysis of TikTok usage in the US by audience research company GWI.

“When we look at the top reasons for using the app, we can see it isn’t just being used for entertainment," analyst Chris Beer explains.

"Users who say they use the app to keep up with the news (39%) is higher than those who use it to share or post videos (32%) - it’s become a go-to source of information for many people in the US."

Other key findings from GWI's research include that 42% of government workers use TikTok.

Last month, President Joe Biden's campaign joined the app, despite it being banned on most US government devices over security concerns.

Does TikTok really pose a national security risk?published at 16:37 Greenwich Mean Time 13 March

16:37 GMT 13 March

Liv McMahon
Technology reporter

Image source, Reuters

The answer to this question really depends on who you ask.

Those who backed today's bill, and other governments which have banned staff from having the app on their work devices, feel strongly that it does - but have not presented evidence to back up these claims.

Concerns mostly rest on the idea that TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, could be compelled by the Chinese government to hand over data on foreign users.

Its 2017 National Security Law compels any organisation or citizen to "support, assist and co-operate with the state intelligence work".

ByteDance is incorporated in the Cayman Islands and has offices in Europe and the US, but also in Beijing.

TikTok has repeatedly insisted data is collected and stored outside of China, and that it’s never shared US user data with Chinese authorities. It has also said it wouldn’t hand over data if asked to.

But the fears, which bear similarity to those lawmakers had about tech giant Huawei and its role in its communications networks, have nonetheless reared their head and spurred US legislative efforts time and again.

Image source, Reuters

We've heard from US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for the first time since the bill passed the House of Representatives.

In a very brief statement, he says:

As we've been reporting, it's not yet clear which way members of the Senate - where the bill's heading now that it's passed the House - intend to vote.

Where does TikTok go from here?published at 16:25 Greenwich Mean Time 13 March

16:25 GMT 13 March

Imran Rahman-Jones
Technology reporter

This is, of course, a blow for TikTok, but there’s still a long way to go before the app could in theory be banned.

TikTok sent a notification in the app, encouraging users to "give your representative a call and tell them how important TikTok is" before the vote passed through the House of Representatives.

It's the second time the company has tried to mobilise its users to call lawmakers.

The first time was a few days ago, and resulted in a deluge of calls to congressional offices.

Clearly, that didn’t work given the result we’ve just seen. But there are definitely lots of TikTokers angry at the possibility of losing the app.

In one video I saw, the influencer called the vote “stupid”, before ending his video by encouraging his followers to subscribe to his other social channels – just in case there is a ban.

Some Republicans – including presidential candidate Donald Trump - fear this plays into the hands of rival app Facebook, already the largest social media platform in the country.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
US reporter

I'm now at the White House - where a small group of TikTok "creators" have arrived.

They're currently gathering near the White House fence. Many are holding signs that read #KeepTikTok.

I'm speaking to a few creators to get their reaction to today's vote. Stay with us for more updates.

Lobbying efforts by TikTok parent company ByteDance continued this morning, using perhaps the most powerful tool in the company's arsenal: the app itself.

TikTok users received a message urging them to contact their representative prior to the vote. The message even included an embedded widget enabling people to easily look up the name and phone number of their congressperson.

The message characterised the House bill as a “ban” – a description some of the bill’s supporters object to, as its provisions wouldn't technically outlaw the app, provided it was sold to another company.

But TikTok issued a stark warning: “The government will take away the community that you and millions of other Americans love."

Image source, TikTok

Image source, Getty Images

It has been a busy day so far on Capitol Hill. If you're just catching up with everything that has happened, let's fill you in on the key moments so far:

• Members of the US House of representatives have overwhelmingly approved a bill which would require the Chinese parent company of TikTok to sell its US operations
• It would have to do so within six months or risk being banned in the US
• The bill will now go to the Senate for final approval
• US President Joe Biden has already said he is ready to sign the papers as soon as the bill reaches his desk
• Lawmakers are concerned TikTok could share US user data with the Chinese government - something the app's parent company denies
• TikTok said it hopes senators will "listen to their constituents" before taking further action which could see the app banned
• Meanwhile, protestors have gathered outside the Capitol and reports say some social media creators are planning to stage a demonstration outside the White House

The companies potentially interested in buying TikTokpublished at 15:48 Greenwich Mean Time 13 March

15:48 GMT 13 March

Natalie Sherman
US business reporter

Image source, EPA

In the world of business, the likelihood that a sale of TikTok will happen still looks a long way from reality.

The bill faces uncertain prospects in the Senate and with both China and owner ByteDance opposed to a deal, a legal fight is almost certain.

But analysts say there are plenty of potentially interested buyers in the US - especially from the tech and shopping worlds - if it comes to that point, given TikTok's rapid growth.

What deal might ultimately pass muster is another question, given anti-monopoly concerns weighing on the tech sector and the likely high price.

“All the big social media companies would be interested but I think they would face a lot of anti-trust hurdles," Emarketer analyst Jasmine Enberg tells me. "There are other firms in the social media space that are smaller - like Snapchat - that would be interested but wouldn’t be able to afford it."

When the Trump administration ordered a sale in 2020, some of the biggest firms in the country emerged to explore bids, which then reportedly valued the firm at about $50bn.

Microsoft ultimately lost out to a team that included Walmart and software giant Oracle, led by Larry Ellison and Safra Catz, who was cosy with the Trump administration. But the deal fell apart amid legal challenges and the change-over to a new administration.

Today, TikTok’s reach and advertising revenue have increased significantly. Research firm Emarketer estimates TikTok will bring in about $8.66bn in advertising revenue from the US this year, compared to less than $1bn in 2020.

Image source, Reuters

Donald Trump may have come out against the TikTok bill but - not for the first time - his former vice president disagrees.

Mike Pence didn’t mince his words. In a post on X, external, he compares the app to hard drugs, calling TikTok “digital fentanyl for America’s youth” that could be used as “a technological weapon by the Chinese Communist Party”.

Pence’s influence on Republicans has been waning - his attempt to capture the party’s presidential nomination faltered at an early stage.

But on this issue at least, he seems to be more closely aligned with the prevailing mood among Republican lawmakers than his former boss.

Mike Wendling
US digital reporter

Most members of Congress voted in favour of the bill but many commentators are highlighting the rather odd group that voted against it.

They include members of the "Squad" - the most left-wing branch of Congressional Democrats including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar.

On the other side there's the hard right: Republicans Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene and members of the House Freedom Caucus.

Their reasoning varies - but generally, the bills opponent's are queasy about its implications for government censorship and attempts to control online media.