TikTok Sale Ordered by Senate Over Security Concerns
The United States Senate has voted in favor of a bill that would compel TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the social media platform within nine months. This move stems from escalating concerns regarding national security and the potential misuse of American user data.
The legislation, which was incorporated into a larger $95 billion foreign aid package, was approved by a vote of 79-18 and now awaits President Biden’s signature. It requires ByteDance to divest its interests in TikTok within a nine-month timeframe, with a possible three-month extension if a sale is in progress.
The bill also prohibits ByteDance from maintaining control over TikTok’s algorithm, which has played a pivotal role in the platform’s popularity by providing users with personalized content. This decision was motivated by apprehensions that the Chinese government could potentially leverage ByteDance to obtain sensitive data or manipulate content.
The passage of this legislation represents the culmination of longstanding bipartisan concerns over Chinese threats and the ownership of TikTok, which boasts over 170 million American users. Lawmakers and administration officials have consistently expressed reservations about the possibility of Chinese authorities coercing ByteDance into sharing user data or manipulating TikTok’s content to influence Americans.
However, opponents of the bill contend that the Chinese government could easily acquire information about Americans through other means, such as commercial data brokers who trade in personal information. The foreign aid package includes a provision that aims to address this issue by outlawing data brokers from selling or renting “personally identifiable sensitive data” to North Korea, China, Russia, Iran, or entities within those countries.
Despite these efforts, the bill has faced criticism from organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which argues that its language is overly broad and could inadvertently impact journalists and others who publish personal information. Opponents also emphasize that there is no publicly available evidence indicating that TikTok has shared data with Chinese authorities or that Chinese officials have interfered with its algorithm.
TikTok, for its part, has long denied posing any security threat and is preparing to challenge the legislation in court. The company has previously had success with legal challenges, such as blocking a Montana law that would have banned TikTok’s use across the state. In the wake of this latest development, TikTok content creators have been actively voicing their concerns, gathering outside the Capitol building to protest the bill.
The fate of TikTok in the United States remains uncertain, with legal challenges and ongoing negotiations between the company and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) likely to play a significant role in determining its future.
