U.S. bans TikTok unless it is sold
President Biden’s recent signing of a law targeting Chinese-owned TikTok has set off a wave of uncertainty about the app’s future in the United States, marking a significant escalation in America’s tech tensions with China.
The law, signed on Wednesday, imposes a ban on TikTok unless the app is sold within the next year. This move represents the most serious threat yet to TikTok’s presence in the U.S., intensifying the ongoing tech war between the two nations.
Despite the law’s enactment, immediate disruption to TikTok is unlikely. Legal challenges and the complexities of selling the app are expected to cause significant delays, potentially stretching over several months.
The law’s inclusion came as part of a broader bill focused on providing foreign aid to countries like Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. It specifically mandates that ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, divest its stake in the app within twelve months, or face potential shutdown.
This development is the culmination of years of scrutiny and pressure from Washington on TikTok. ByteDance’s acquisition of Musical.ly in 2017 and its subsequent transformation into TikTok raised concerns among U.S. national security officials regarding potential Chinese government influence.
Despite these concerns, TikTok has enjoyed immense popularity, boasting 170 million American users, roughly half of the country’s population. The app has become a key platform for short-form video content and a significant source of news for one-third of young Americans, as per Pew Research Center.
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Lawmakers and the Biden administration argue that TikTok’s Chinese ownership poses risks, asserting that it could be subject to China’s authoritarian directives. The ongoing debate underscores the complexities and challenges of navigating the intersection of technology, national security, and international relations in the modern era.
“Congress is not acting to punish ByteDance, TikTok, or any other individual company,” said Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, in remarks on the Senate floor Tuesday afternoon.
“Congress is acting to prevent foreign adversaries from conducting espionage, surveillance, maligned operations, harming vulnerable Americans, our servicemen and women, and our U.S. government personnel.”
