With 79 votes in favour and 18 votes against, the US Senate has approved a possible ban on the Chinese app TikTok, Reuters reports. The proposed law passed the House of Representatives last Saturday.
The law imposes an injunction on TikTok: if ByteDance, the app’s Chinese owner, does not sell its stake in the App’sTikTok’s American branch, the app will be banned in the United States.
ByteDance will have one year to organize its affairs. Senator Ed Markey said selling TikTok could be one of the most complicated and expensive transactions.
TikTok Ban: What About It?
TikTok has 170 million users in the United States. The ban is part of a broader battle between China and the United States over the use of cyberspace and the acquisition of personal data.
There is a lot of suspicion in America about TikTok’s privacy risks. Although the media company has repeatedly stated that no American data is shared with the Chinese government, the fear remains that TikTok is a ‘spy app’.
In 2020, then-President Donald Trump unsuccessfully tried to ban TikTok. The new law provides more grounds to block It.
If ByteDance refuses to give up its share in TikTok, TikTok will no longer be available in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
What is going to happen now?
The moment President Joe Biden signs the new bill, a period of 270 days will begin when ByteDance must sell TikTok to keep the app available in the United States. This can be extended by a maximum of three months.
It’s unlikely that TikTok will just let this happen. New lawsuits will be filed. In November 2023, a state ban on the TikTok app was blocked by a judge in Montana. The TikTok ban would be an unlawful restriction of freedom of expression.
The American Civil Liberties Union also warns that banning an app like TikTok sets a dangerous precedent for government control. For example, Senator Ron Wyden of the Democrats emphasizes that the law gives the US government “broad authority to harm the First Amendment (the right to freedom of expression, ed.).”
Similar bans are taking place in China: American apps such as WhatsApp and Threads are banned for security reasons.
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