In a historic move, the Senate passed a law on Tuesday night that could potentially lead to a national ban of the popular social media app TikTok. The bipartisan vote of 79-18 represents a serious threat to TikTok’s U.S. operations, with lawmakers expressing concerns about the app’s ties to China.
While some lawmakers insist that they do not want to ban TikTok outright, they argue that the choice lies with ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company. Under the new legislation signed into law by President Biden, ByteDance has up to a year to sell its stake in TikTok to keep the app running in the U.S. However, the Chinese government opposes a forced sale, which could lead to a prolonged legal battle.
Lawmakers have raised suspicions about TikTok’s potential threat to national security, with concerns that the Chinese government could use the app to spy on Americans or influence public opinion covertly. FBI Director Christopher Wray warned that the Chinese government could compromise Americans’ devices through the software, further fueling the push to regulate TikTok.
Despite TikTok’s denial of being beholden to the Chinese government, lawmakers argue that the legislation is necessary to protect Americans’ data and national security interests. TikTok has vowed to challenge the law, calling it unconstitutional and a violation of free speech rights.
As the debate continues, the future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain, with arguments for and against the ban intensifying among lawmakers and tech experts. The impact of this legislation could have far-reaching consequences not only for TikTok but also for other companies facing similar scrutiny in the future.