TikTok is a step closer to facing a nationwide ban in the US. The bill that could ban the Chinese-origin social media app has passed the Senate. It is almost certainly to become law as President Joe Biden said he would sign the legislation. Once signed into law, TikTok’s Chinese owner will have to sell its US arm or face a ban in the country.
TikTok ban bill passes the US Senate with an overwhelming majority
Last month, the US House of Representatives voted 352-65 to pass a bill that could ban or divest TikTok in the country. Once Biden turns the bill into law, TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance will have six months to decide whether to sell its US business unit or close shop. However, the bill stalled in the Senate. The upper house hasn’t been decisive about it.
In the meantime, the House introduced another bill with similar terms. It received a more favorable vote of 360-58, likely because it gives ByteDance a divestment period of one year instead of six months. The new bill was bundled with other foreign aid bills of urgency in nature. As such, the Senate swiftly moved it across. The bill passed the upper house with an overwhelming majority vote of 79-18.
The “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” will now head to Joe Biden’s office. Since Biden is prepared to sign it, it shouldn’t be long before the US has a law to ban TikTok on security grounds. That is unless ByteDance finds an American buyer for the US arm of the platform within a year. Considering TikTok’s popularity, it shouldn’t be a tough job.
It is still far from a done deal
TikTok has always denied allegations that it is a national security threat to the US. The company claims the Chinese government doesn’t have access to its user data, though its CEO refused to explicitly state whether China has any influence over TikTok. The bottom line is that the firm won’t accept its fate without a fight. It has vowed to legally challenge this bill, which it called unconstitutional.
ByteDance has also received support from content creators, free speech and digital rights groups, and even some lawmakers. They opposed the bill saying that the US government should work on stronger privacy laws rather than ban the app. While ByteDance might eventually be forced to sell or close the US arm of TikTok, these legal procedures could delay the inevitable.