According to President Biden, he will sign the bill into law.
It is now almost a given that a bill that would outlaw TikTok will pass. By a vote of 79 to 18, the Senate adopted a bill mandating that ByteDance sell TikTok or risk being banned. President Joe Biden will next see the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act,” which he has pledged to approve into law.
The bill garnered a lot more support than earlier attempts, even though it’s not the first attempt to compel a ban or divestment of the social media app. After being submitted in March, the bill was overwhelmingly supported by both parties as it passed the House of Representatives. On Saturday, a slightly altered version was accepted as a part of a set of laws pertaining to foreign aid.
The amended terms would have banned TikTok from US app stores and web hosting services, and given the startup up to 12 months to separate from parent company ByteDance. The business has declared the bill unconstitutional and threatened to oppose it in court, which might postpone the eventual sale or prohibition.
A request for comment was not immediately answered by the corporation.
Lawmakers and the intelligence community have long held TikTok in low regard. Intelligence authorities informed members of Congress on the supposed national security threat presented by the app prior to votes in the House and Senate. Although specifics about those concerns are yet unknown, several Congressmen have requested that information from the briefings be made public.
However, other lawmakers have voiced doubt, claiming that TikTok’s purported threat is mainly fictitious. Digital rights and free speech organisations are also against the plan, pointing out that robust privacy laws would protect Americans’ personal information more successfully. Similar arguments were made by TikTok CEO Shou Chew, who told Congress last year that the app’s data issues wouldn’t be resolved by a forced sale.
However, it’s possible that TikTok’s recent attempts to rally opposition to the measure backfired. After the firm’s in-app reminders regarding the bill caused a surge of calls to Congressional offices, lawmakers chastised the company for the action. Furthermore, the app might have come under even greater scrutiny after Politico revealed last week that Chinese diplomats were pressuring congressional staff members to reject the legislation. Chinese officials have denounced the action. ByteDance may not be able to sell the app with TikTok’s recommendation technology included due to a 2020 Chinese rule.