WASHINGTON (TND) — Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., warned Tuesday a potential nationwide ban of TikTok could lead to a rise in “anti-Asian and Chinese sentiment,” Politico reported.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously approved legislation Thursday giving Chinese-based ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, six months to divest from the app or face a U.S. ban. Lawmakers say the measure is largely intended to mitigate possible national security threats related to the app.

The full House is set to vote on the bill Wednesday. “Squad” member Rep. Pressley reportedly says she is against the measure, claiming possible security concerns do not outweigh potential impacts on Asian Americans.

“Certainly there are things we should be considering when it comes to data harvesting and privacy for all social media, for all big tech, not just limited to TikTok,” Rep. Pressley told Politico. “I also have serious concerns regarding the First Amendment, but I also think this is simply just fomenting anti-Asian and Chinese sentiment.”

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Fellow "Squad" member Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., also reportedly said she would not support the ban. Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said Monday the legislation is being pushed through the House before some lawmakers can decide how to vote on it.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., said a TikTok ban would unfairly punish those who use the app as a means of supporting themselves.

“We're steamrolling this bill through without listening to stakeholders, without listening to people who depend on TikTok for their livelihood, including a lot of small businesses,” Rep. Frost said.

A notification on the app last week urged TikTok users to “speak up now — before your government strips 170 million Americans of their Constitutional right to free expression.” It also cautioned the ban could harm businesses and creators around the country.

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