TikTok ban passed in House could become law in days
Joe Hindy / Android Authority TL;DR Legislation that would force ByteDance to divest its stake in TikTok to remain in the United States has once again passed the House of Representatives. The bill now goes to the Senate and is part of an aid package to Ukraine and Israel. The Senate is expected to vote […]
Joe Hindy / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Legislation that would force ByteDance to divest its stake in TikTok to remain in the United States has once again passed the House of Representatives.
- The bill now goes to the Senate and is part of an aid package to Ukraine and Israel.
- The Senate is expected to vote on the bill next week, and President Joe Biden is expected to sign it when it reaches his desk.
TikTok is now set to face a ban in the United States if parent company ByteDance chooses not to divest its stake. The ban could come into force in the coming days.
Despite massive lobbying efforts to keep TikTok in the United States, the House of Representatives today passed a law banning the app in the country, according to NBC News. The bill passed after 360 representatives voted in favor of the ban, with 58 saying no.
Now that the bill has passed the House again, it will need to be approved by the Senate and the President to become law. It will arrive in the Senate next week as part of a crucial aid package for Ukraine and Israel. The measure is expected to pass, and President Joe Biden is expected to sign it as soon as it reaches his desk.
The ban stems from bipartisan concerns over TikTok’s ties to China. There are concerns that China could use the app to spread propaganda to the American public. Additionally, there are concerns about the massive amounts of data collected on millions of US users.
If the bill becomes law, ByteDance will have two options: sell TikTok or end its presence in the United States. It is likely that ByteDance will exhaust all its options before considering a sale.
