The US Senate has passed a bill which could be a step towards having TikTok shut down within America because of national security concerns.
It grants TikTok’s Chinese owners, ByteDance, nine months to dispose of its stake, or its app will be shut down within the United States.
The bill is now passed for approval by US the president, Joe Biden, who has declared that he will be signing the bill into law when the bill is placed on his desk.
TikTok has confirmed to that the BBC that it does not provide an immediate reaction regarding the decision. In the past Bytedance declared that it would be against any try to force the company to offer TikTok.
“It’s a big deal”, Doug Calidas, a technology expert from Harvard University’s Belfer Center, told the BBC.
“In the period of a few weeks they managed to pass a law through both chambers which very rarely happens – to see them act so quickly on a matter of public concern.”
If the US succeeds in getting ByteDance to buy TikTok Any deal would require approval from Chinese officials. But China has committed to resisting any move that is similar to this.
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It may take a few years before the app gets blocked in the US because legal action by ByteDance most likely up all the way to Supreme Court, would delay the entire process.
The law also gives the business nine months to offer TikTok and an extra 3 months grace period.
Then there is the tiny issue of who will be in a position to purchase and run the company – its cost will likely to be somewhere in the range of millions, meaning there will be a small number of potential buyers.
If the app isn’t available in the timeframe it could be banned in the nation – the US states that it fears TikTok may be used for spying on Americans or for spreading propagandist messages.
TikTok collects the same kinds of information as other apps however, the US is concerned that the data could end up in the hand by the Chinese government, a claim TikTok has consistently denied.
US Politicians could also experience an outcry from the public – the site has over 170 million customers across the United States.
Aid for Ukraine
It was approved in the context of an overall set of four bills that included assistance to military forces to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan along with additional US allies within the Indo-Pacific region.
It received a wide approval from legislators, with an overwhelming majority of Senators in support while 18 voting 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,” declared senator Marco Rubio, the top Republican member of the Intelligence Committee.
“A new law is going to require its Chinese owner to sell the app. This is a good move for America,” said the official. stated.
TikTok has mentioned issues with civil liberties as part of its defense.
The social media firm said it will “trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate seven million businesses, and shutter a platform that contributes $24 billion to the US economy, annually.”
TikTok has stated that ByteDance “is not an agent of China or any other country”. In addition, ByteDance claims it’s not the product of a Chinese company, and pointing out the investment companies in the world that control 60% of the company.
The chief executive of the company, Shou Zi Chew stated last month that that the company is going to remain committed to doing everything it can to protect it’s “legal rights” to protect the platform.
Mr. Shou was quizzed by Congress twice within less than one year. He also downplayed the app’s link – and his own personal information – with Chinese officials.
The platform’s social media has taken steps to garner supporters against the ban. This included a significant advocacy campaign.
It also called on TikTok creators and users to voice their displeasure with the legislation.
University of Richmond law professor, Carl Tobias told the BBC that a long legal fight is expected to ensue and “could take about two years”.
