- TikTok faces potential US ban after Senate passes divestment bill.
- ByteDance must sell TikTok to American entity or face ban.
- Legal challenges, political implications loom for Biden administration.
The United States Senate has passed a multifaceted bill that could effectively ban TikTok from the US app store once President Joe Biden signs it, a move he has signaled he will make.
The final vote tally stood at 79 in favor and 18 opposed.
ByteDance’s divestment dilemma
Tucked into the foreign aid bills passed by the House of Representatives over the weekend was text forcing TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the social media service to an American entity or face a ban.
The newer version gives ByteDance 270 days to divest, a decision that appears to have swayed Senate Commerce Committee Chair Sen. Maria Cantwell, who previously opposed the bill citing legal scrutiny concerns.
Political implications loom
The bill’s passage in the Senate comes after months of lobbying against it by TikTok, which prompted its users to reach out to their representatives and even saw its CEO travel to Washington, DC, in an effort to stop it.
TikTok has vowed to challenge the bill in court once Biden signs it, setting the stage for a potential legal showdown.
Enacting the TikTok “ban” could potentially hurt Biden’s chances at reelection in November, given the app’s popularity among younger demographics and the likelihood of a close final vote.
Former President Donald Trump, who previously tried to force ByteDance to sell to an American company via executive order (which was later struck down by a federal district court), has also spoken against banning TikTok earlier in the year, perhaps recognizing the political implications.
