The U.S. House has passed a bill that could lead to a nationwide ban on social media platform TikTok, according to a March 13 report from CNN.
The bill passed on March 13 on a vote of 352-65, with 50 Democrats and 15 Republicans voting in opposition.
Lawmakers have argued that TikTok is a threat to national security because it is owned by China-based ByteDance.
The bill will now head to the Senate, where its future is unclear, before heading to President Joe Biden's desk if passed. President Biden has previously stated that he will pass the legislation.
Some have voiced opposition to the bill, including small business owners, who are worried about a potential negative impact.
Nearly 5 million businesses have TikTok accounts, according to a report from CNBC, and that includes both major health systems and independent practices.
Without TikTok, businesses stand to lose a free and effective way to gain customers, which can otherwise be especially difficult for small businesses.
Healthcare providers also use TikTok for a number of reasons, from advertising their practice to educating and connecting with new patients.
Daniel Choi, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon at Spine Medicine & Surgery of Long Island (N.Y.) who has over 33,000 followers on the platform, uses it to control messaging surrounding his independent practice and bring in new patients.
And he is not the only one, especially considering the fact that 1 in 5 Americans consult TikTok for health advice before contacting a physician.
Additionally, ByteDance has recently considered a dive into healthcare, with 17 open roles for healthcare and science-based jobs in the U.S.
Without the application, millions of small businesses, including small ASCs and physician practices, could lose a valuable way to connect with patients and bring in new revenue.