The United States House of Representatives passed a bill that would force TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company ByteDance or face a nationwide ban in the United States per Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Officials have voiced alarm over the popularity of TikTok, which has over 170 million users in the US, with young people alleging that it is subservient to Beijing and a conduit to spread propaganda.

TikTok denied those claims, saying that the proposed ban would “trample the free speech rights of Americans.”

The bill is part of a wider approach to combat foreign influence and foreign agents in the US. The US House on Saturday also approved a massive aid package meant to counter China through investment in submarine infrastructure as well as helping Taiwan.

The USD eight billion bill is now headed to the Senate for a vote to take place - as early as Tuesday.

*Stay informed with our carefully curated content delivered directly to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive updates and in-depth analysis. Click here to subscribe.