US Moves to Ban TikTok, Requires ByteDance Sale

Just a week ago, reports surfaced about a new bill aiming to compel ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, to divest its ownership of the app or face a ban in the US. Now, that bill has successfully passed the US House of Representatives with strong bipartisan support, as the vote count stood at 352-65.

The bill’s next hurdle is the Senate, where Senator Rand Paul has voiced opposition to the ban, offering a glimmer of hope for those against the measure. However, should the bill clear the Senate, President Joe Biden has expressed his intention to sign it into law, despite his reelection campaign joining TikTok just a month prior.

In 2020, several US companies expressed interest in acquiring TikTok’s global operations, with Microsoft notably in the mix. However, Chinese officials opposed such a sale, leading to a stalemate.

If the bill approves, ByteDance will have to divest TikTok within six months. Subsequently, US companies would be prohibited from hosting ByteDance apps on their app stores or providing web hosting services for the platform, effectively banning TikTok from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

US Moves to Ban TikTok, Requires ByteDance Sale

The legal battle surrounding TikTok is far from over, with numerous obstacles to navigate. Last year, Montana banned TikTok, only for a federal judge to overturn the ban a few months later. Similar instances of overturned bans have occurred previously, indicating a complex legal landscape ahead.

TikTok boasts an enormous user base, having reached 1 billion monthly users in 2021. It was also the first app to achieve $10 billion in in-app spending last year, highlighting the significant financial stakes involved.

TikTok is not the sole target of the bill. The legislation, known as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, could also impact other Chinese-owned apps like WeChat, owned by Tencent.

Numerous US organizations are against the ban as well. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Center for Democracy, and the Fight for the Future organization have all voiced their opposition. In a blog post, the EFF argued against the bill, stating, “Instead of passing this overreaching and misguided bill, Congress should prevent any company—regardless of where it is based—from collecting massive amounts of our detailed personal data, which is then made available to data brokers, U.S. government agencies, and even foreign adversaries, China included.” They emphasized the need for comprehensive consumer data privacy legislation instead of laws that could potentially infringe on the free speech rights of millions of Americans.

See Also: TikTok Users Bombard Congress With Phone Calls Over Bill To Ban App