TikTok failed to read the political landscape, NYU analyst says

TikTok misread years of signals from politicians that they intended to ban the app, according to Paul Barrett, deputy director of New York University's Stern Center for Business and Human Rights.

"Faced with persistent bipartisan suspicion in the US, ByteDance and the Chinese government should have read the political signals more astutely and spun off TikTok as a stand-alone American company," Barrett said.

"A broad U.S. ban would inhibit Americans from using TikTok to express themselves — an outcome that would limit free speech and make no one happy," he continued.

More context: Lawmakers supportive of the bill have argued TikTok poses a national security threat because the Chinese government could use its intelligence laws against ByteDance, forcing it to hand over the data of US app users.

TikTok has called the legislation an attack on the constitutional right to freedom of expression for its users.