Joe Biden Signs “TikTok Ban” Bill Into Law: Details
President Joe Biden has signed a bill into law that gives TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, 270 days to sell the platform. If they do not comply, TikTok will be effectively banned from U.S. app stores and from internet hosting services. However, if the U.S. government feels the company is making appropriate steps made toward a sale as the closing of the window approaches, Biden can extend the deadline another 90 days. The bill has support from far more politicians than just Biden. 79 Senators voted for it and 18 against it.
“For years we’ve allowed the Chinese Communist party to control one of the most popular apps in America… that was dangerously short-sighted,” Republican Senator Marco Rubio said, according to BBC. “A new law is going to require its Chinese owner to sell the app. This is a good move for America.”
Read More: “TikTok Ban” Passes US House Of Representatives
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew Testifies In Washington D.C.
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 23: TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew prepares to testify before the House Energy and Commerce. Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on March 23, 2023 in Washington, DC. The hearing was a rare opportunity for lawmakers to question the leader of the short-form social media video app about the company’s relationship with its Chinese owner, ByteDance, and how they handle users’ sensitive personal data. Some local, state and federal government agencies have been banning use of TikTok by employees, citing concerns about national security. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
TikTok plans to counter the U.S.’s move with legal action of its own. “We believe the facts and the law are clearly on our side, and we will ultimately prevail,” the company said in a statement. “The fact is, we have invested billions of dollars to keep U.S. data safe and our platform free from outside influence and manipulation. This ban would devastate seven million businesses and silence 170 million Americans.” In turn, an effective ban on TikTok will likely take significantly longer to come to fruition than Biden intends. Experts have told the BBC it could take years before the case makes its way through the Supreme Court.
Shou Zi Chew Speaks Out
The deadline for the sale of TikTok is set for January 19, 2025. Be on the lookout for further updates on TikTok on HotNewHipHop.
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