President Biden has signed a bill banning TikTok if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, fails to sell it within a year. As a result of the House’s overwhelming majority over the weekend, the US Senate passed the bill, which includes aid for Ukraine and Israel, by a vote of 79-18 late Tuesday night.
The new law gives ByteDance nine months to arrange a sale of TikTok, with a possible three-month extension. If no deal occurs, using or downloading the TikTok app would become illegal in America. TikTok argues the ban violates the constitution and says it will challenge the law in court.
Although concerning for its millions of US creators and users, TikTok is no stranger to bans. Countries like India and others blocked the video app over security fears in the past. This forced sale bill escalates such concerns here in the USA.
It remains to be seen if TikTok can find a buyer and keep operating legally under the year-long deadline. With over $14 billion already contributed to America’s economy, TikTok claims the ban would “devastate” many small businesses too reliant on the platform. Undoubtedly the legal battle in response will be heated.
In attaching the TikTok issue to aid packages, Congress essentially left Biden no choice to sign. But with an election looming, did putting extra pressure on a Chinese company align with the president’s interests? Only time will tell how this impacted situation ultimately plays out.
