The Senate has passed a foreign aid package that includes an ultimatum for TikTok: divest from foreign ownership or be banned from operating in the US. The bill now heads to President Biden for his signature.
The bill extends the deadline for TikTok to sell to a US-based company by six months, giving it a year to comply. TikTok has criticized the bill as an attack on free speech, and has indicated it will challenge the ban in court if it is signed into law.
Lawmakers have cited national security and data privacy concerns as reasons for supporting the ban, but critics argue that a comprehensive data privacy bill would be a more effective way to address these issues.
