On Tuesday, the US Senate passed a bill requiring TikTok to sever ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or exit the American market.
The legislation was part of a broader $95 billion foreign aid package that also provides military assistance to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. Having successfully passed Congress, the bill now awaits President Joe Biden’s signature.
We have raised concerns and Western officials regarding TikTok’s influence among young Americans, accusing the platform of facilitating data collection and espionage for Beijing. The app boasts 170 million users in the US. Critics argue that TikTok acts under the influence of Beijing, spreading propaganda—a claim both China and the company vehemently deny.
The Senate approved the bill with a 79-18 vote after it received strong bipartisan support in the House of Representatives. President Biden, who recently discussed his concerns about TikTok with Chinese President Xi Jinping, has indicated his intention to sign the bill.
Following the House vote, TikTok criticized the move, describing it as detrimental to free speech for 170 million Americans and potentially destructive to seven million businesses. It cited an annual contribution of $24 billion to the US economy.
The bill stipulates that ByteDance must divest TikTok or face removal from US app stores like Apple and Google within a year. Steven Mnuchin, former US Treasury Secretary under Donald Trump, has expressed interest in purchasing TikTok and reportedly assembled a group of investors.
The bill also empowers the US President to label other apps as national security threats if a hostile country owns them.
In contrast, Elon Musk, owner of X (formerly Twitter), opposed banning TikTok, arguing that it would infringe on free speech and expression rights.
