After two months of political debate, on April 24, President Joe Biden signed a bill that could potentially ban TikTok nationwide.
Did Biden ban TikTok?
Now that Biden has signed this bill into law, TikTok must sell its assets to a U.S. buyer by Jan. 19, 2025. Otherwise, it will be banned from U.S. app stores.
Back in March, the House first proposed a bill that would force a sale or ban of TikTok. However, the bill stalled in the Senate. So, the House forced the Senate to move quickly by bundling the legislation into an urgent foreign aid bill.
The Senate passed the bill late last night. It gives ByteDance 9 months (with the potential to get a 3-month extension) to sell TikTok to a U.S.-based company. If not, it will face a nationwide ban.
What happens next?
It’s worth noting that government officials in China have made it clear they will attempt to block a sale of TikTok. So if this legislation goes unchallenged, it’s possible a complete ban in the U.S. could occur.
However, TikTok has threatened to take legal action against the legislation, arguing it violates First Amendment rights.
In a TikTok video posted on April 24, TikTok’s CEO Shou Chew said, “We aren’t going anywhere.”
As CNN reports, if the bill is challenged in the courts, TikTok’s fate could be stalled — even over multiple years. However, if the courts do not grant TikTok a “temporary injunction,” the app may have to face the consequences of the legislation sooner rather than later.
Further reading:
- Potential TikTok Ban Inches Closer As Senate Passes Bill
- TikTok Ban-or-Sell Bill Is Now Bundled With Military Aid
- Dear President Biden: TikTokers Pen Open Letter to ‘Stop the Ban’
- Ex-Employees Claim TikTok Shared Data With ByteDance Workers in China
- Sell or Be Banned: Why the Latest Bill to Ban TikTok Won’t Solve the Problem
