WASHINGTON, April 22. /TASS/. TikTok criticized a bill approved by the US House of Representatives that would ban the popular social media app in the United States as a violation of free speech rights, Reuters reported.

"It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill that would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans," Reuters quoted TikTok as saying in a statement.

On April 20, the House passed the legislation that would ban the platform in the United States unless the Chinese owner, ByteDance, sells its stake within a year. Otherwise, if this bill becomes law, TikTok will be banned in the United States, while Apple and Google will have to remove downloads of the social media from their app stores.

Spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce He Yadong warned that China would take action in response to US plans to ban TikTik as he urged Washington to stop "unreasonably suppressing" companies in other countries and ensure "an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for all countries investing in the United States or running a business there."