The U.S. Senate has passed legislation that could force TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell the social media platform or face a ban.
The bill, which was included as part of a larger $95 billion package providing foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel, passed by a vote of 79-18. It now goes to President Joe Biden, who has backed the TikTok proposal and has said he will sign the package as soon as he receives it.
The legislation gives ByteDance nine months to sell TikTok, with a possible three-month extension if a sale is in progress. It also bars the company from controlling TikTok’s algorithm, which plays a crucial role in determining what videos users see on the platform.
The passage of the bill is the culmination of long-held bipartisan fears in Washington over Chinese threats and the ownership of TikTok, which is used by 170 million Americans. Lawmakers and administration officials have expressed concerns that Chinese authorities could force ByteDance to hand over U.S. user data or influence Americans by suppressing or promoting certain content on TikTok.
Opponents of the bill argue that the Chinese government could easily obtain information on Americans through other means, such as commercial data brokers. They also note that the U.S. has not provided public evidence to support claims that TikTok has shared U.S. user information with Chinese authorities or that Chinese officials have interfered with its algorithm.
TikTok has denied being a security threat and has indicated that it will challenge the legislation in court. ByteDance has previously said it would oppose a forced sale of TikTok and has signaled its opposition to the current bill. The company has had some success with court challenges in the past, but it has never sought to prevent federal legislation from going into effect.
Meanwhile, TikTok content creators are expressing concern over the bill’s potential impact on their livelihoods. Some creators have gathered in front of the Capitol building to speak out against the bill and urge lawmakers to reconsider. They argue that TikTok is a safe platform for users and that a ban would unfairly target creators who rely on it for income.
