Recently, the House of Representatives passed a bill that could lead to a ban on TikTok in the United States. The legislation requires ByteDance, TikTok’s owner, to sell the platform to an American company within a year or face a complete ban. This bill is now being considered by the Senate, and it is expected to pass as well.
To expedite the process, the House Speaker combined this bill with another one that allows the US to seize Russian assets. These bills were then bundled with aid packages for countries like Taiwan, Israel, and Ukraine. The Senate will soon vote on this package, which includes the bill targeting TikTok.
For years, American politicians have raised concerns about security risks associated with TikTok due to ByteDance’s obligations to share data with the Chinese government. President Joe Biden has indicated that he will sign the legislation if it passes the Senate, despite potential legal challenges from TikTok and its users. However, former President Donald Trump attempted to ban the app during his time in office but has since changed his stance on it.
The bill could lead to a forced sale of TikTok rather than a complete ban. But ByteDance believes that ultimately aims for a total ban in the US market. As things unfold, TikTok’s future in America remains uncertain.