The bill, which has bipartisan support, requires ByteDance to divest from TikTok within 12 months or face a ban in the United States. The company has expressed strong opposition to the bill, calling it unconstitutional, and has indicated that it will mount a legal challenge if it becomes law.
Lawmakers and the intelligence community have raised concerns about the potential national security threat posed by TikTok, although the specific nature of these concerns has not been made public. Some members of Congress have requested that details from intelligence briefings on the matter be declassified.
Despite the concerns raised by some lawmakers, others have expressed skepticism, arguing that the alleged threat posed by TikTok is largely hypothetical. Additionally, free speech and digital rights groups have come out in opposition to the bill, suggesting that comprehensive privacy legislation would provide more effective protection of Americans’ personal data.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew has made similar arguments, stating that a forced sale would not address data concerns about the app. However, TikTok’s recent efforts to mobilize opposition to the bill may have backfired. Lawmakers criticized the company for sending in-app notifications to users about the bill, and the app’s reputation may have been further damaged when Politico reported that Chinese diplomats had been lobbying Congressional staffers to oppose the bill.
The Chinese government has also condemned the measure, and a 2020 Chinese law could prevent ByteDance from including TikTok’s key recommendation algorithm in any sale of the app. It remains to be seen how this will impact the situation as the bill moves forward.
