Senate Passes Bill to Ban TikTok Unless ByteDance Sells Within a Year
The Senate has approved legislation, bundled with the foreign aid package, that would prohibit the use of TikTok if its parent company, ByteDance, fails to divest its ownership within a year. The bill was passed with a 79-18 vote on Tuesday, following the House’s overwhelming majority approval over the weekend.
President Biden Set to Sign the Bill into Law
For the bill to become law, it requires President Joe Biden’s signature. According to the White House, the President plans to sign the bill on Wednesday.
House’s Previous Standalone Bill vs. Current Foreign Aid Package
In March, the House had passed a similar standalone bill aimed at banning TikTok or compelling its sale within a six-month timeframe. However, the Senate did not take up that particular bill. This time, as the bill was tied to crucial foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, the Senate was compelled to make a decision.
TikTok’s Response and Legal Challenge
While TikTok has not issued an immediate statement, Michael Beckerman, the company’s head of public policy for the Americas, indicated that TikTok intends to challenge the move in courts, as reported by Bloomberg.
“This is an unprecedented deal worked out between the Republican Speaker and President Biden. The stage that the bill is signed, we will move to the courts for a legal challenge,” he said in a memo to TikTok’s U.S. staff earlier this week.
The bill grants Bytedance nine months to force a sale, with a possible 90-day extension, effectively providing a year to complete the transaction.
TikTok’s Criticism of the House’s Decision
Last week, when the House passed the bill, TikTok expressed its disappointment, stating that it was “unfortunate” that the House was using the guise of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to push through a ban bill that would infringe upon the “free speech rights of 170 million Americans.”
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, devastate 7 million businesses, and shutter a platform…
— TikTok Policy (@TikTokPolicy) April 18, 2024
U.S. Concerns Over Chinese Ownership and Data Security
Despite TikTok’s operations being based in Singapore, the U.S. government has expressed concerns regarding the data security of its citizens, given the Chinese ownership of the social media platform. TikTok has repeatedly attempted to reassure the government that it does not share U.S. user data with China through various campaigns and initiatives.
2 Comments
So much for free expression, guess the Senate’s on the clock now.
Looks like the dance is over for TikTok unless they find a new partner!