Is A TikTok Ban on the Horizon? Bipartisan Bill to Shield U.S. User Data from Foreign Adversaries Fails in House Vote

By Jenelle Jean and Grace Ko 

Last night, in an unusual show of bipartisan concern over national security and digital privacy, lawmakers in the House Homeland Security introduced a bill aimed to keep U.S. data on U.S. servers. However, despite mounting concerns over foreign data breaches and access, the legislation failed to pass — leaving millions of users and policymakers wondering what will come next. 

The unsuccessful passing of this bill raises questions on whether or not another TikTok ban in the U.S. may be on the table for members of Congress. January 18-19, 2025 marked the first time that TikTok was taken offline in the U.S. to comply with the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. 

Opinions on a TikTok ban have remained divided among Americans. In 2025, only 34% of the public supported a ban, with supporters citing national security concerns and those opposed —particularly creators—arguing it violated free speech. Reflecting this frustration, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew stated that lawmakers “don’t quite understand what the American people want” and are not accurately representing them, highlighting the broader tension between government action and public opinion.

The “Keep Data Domestic (KDD)” Act, introduced by Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX-2), Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO-2), Rep. Pablo José Hernández (PR-AL, Democrat), and Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ-10), sought to require that U.S. data collected by the viral-video making app, TikTok, be stored exclusively on domestic servers and be subject to greater transparency reporting. The authors additionally intended that this act was to be enforced by FBI agents who specialize in social security to further protect U.S. user data. Cosponsors argue that the measure would protect American data from potential misuse by foreign adversaries, particularly China. However, despite the bipartisan backing and increased scrutiny of TikTok’s parent company — ByteDance — the bill fell short during a House vote of 13:30:0, exposing divisions over how aggressively Congress should go about regulating this media platform.