The US Congress has unanimously passed a bill that requires TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the platform within nine months or face a ban. The legislation was sent to President Joe Biden on Tuesday and is expected to be signed into law.
The bill gives ByteDance nine months to sell TikTok, with a possible three-month extension. However, legal challenges could delay the process. The platform is used by 170 million Americans, and the bill reflects long-held fears over Chinese threats.
Lawmakers and administration officials have expressed concerns that Chinese authorities could force ByteDance to hand over US user data or influence Americans by suppressing or promoting certain content on TikTok.
“Congress is not acting to punish ByteDance, TikTok or any other individual company,” said Senate Commerce Committee Chairwoman Maria Cantwell. “Congress is acting to prevent foreign adversaries from conducting espionage, surveillance, maligned operations, harming vulnerable Americans, our servicemen and women, and our US government personnel”.
Several opponents of the TikTok measure say the best way to protect consumers is by implementing a comprehensive data privacy law that targets all companies regardless of their origin. They have said the US has not provided evidence that proves TikTok shared user information with Chinese authorities.
“Banning TikTok would be an extraordinary step that requires extraordinary justification,” said Becca Branum, a deputy director at the Washington-based Center for Democracy & Technology, which advocates for digital rights. “Extending the divestiture deadline neither justifies the urgency of the threat to the public nor addresses the legislation’s fundamental constitutional flaws”.
The passage of the TikTok legislation is a significant development in the ongoing debate over the influence of Chinese companies in the United States. It remains to be seen whether the bill will withstand legal challenges or whether ByteDance will be able to sell TikTok before the deadline.
