A bill that could ban TikTok is now almost certain to come into force. By a vote of 79-18, the Senate approved a measure requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban. The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act will next go to President Joe Biden, who introduced the bill into law.
While it is far from the first attempt to force a ban or divestment of the social media app, the bill has garnered far more support than previous attempts. The bill was introduced and passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support. A slightly revised version as part of a foreign aid legislative package on Saturday.
Under the updated terms, TikTok would have up to 12 months to separate from parent company ByteDance or face a ban in US app stores and web hosting services. The company called the bill unconstitutional and said it would represent a legal challenge to such a law, which could further delay an eventual sale or ban.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
TikTok has long been viewed with suspicion by lawmakers and intelligence agencies. Before the votes in the House and Senate, members of Congress were briefed by intelligence officials about the app’s alleged threat to national security. The exact nature of those concerns remains unclear, although some members of Congress have asked for details from the briefings.
At the same time, some lawmakers expressed skepticism, saying TikTok’s alleged threat was… Free speech and digital rights groups also oppose the bill, saying comprehensive privacy legislation would be a more effective way to protect Americans’ personal information. TikTok CEO Shou Chew has made a similar argument, telling Congress that a forced sale wouldn’t address the app’s data problems.
But TikTok’s recent efforts to rally opposition to the bill could… Lawmakers rebuked the company for sending users in-app information about the bill after the warnings led to a flood of calls to congressional offices. And the app may have raised even more suspicion than that Politico Last week, Chinese diplomats reported that they were urging congressional staffers to oppose the law. Officials in China have approved the measure. A passed Chinese law could prevent ByteDance from including TikTok’s recommendation algorithm in a sale of the app.