Video hosting service TikTok says a potential ban on its app in the US would “trample the free speech” of 170 million Americans.

The US House of Representatives voted at the weekend to ban TikTok if the app’s owner does not cut its ties with China.

The legislation was part of a US foreign policy package that included aid for Ukraine and could become law as early as next week.

In recent months US officials have voiced alarm over TikTok’s popularity with young people, alleging that TikTok’s owner Bytedance is submissive to China – accusations it has repeatedly denied.