Washington: The US Senate on Tuesday passed a bill mandating that the highly popular social media platform TikTok be sold off from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance or face a ban in the US market. The legislation forms a part of a substantial $95 billion foreign aid package that includes military support for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, and has successfully passed through Congress to await President Joe Biden’s signature.
The US and many other Western nations have raised several concerns regarding TikTok’s immense popularity among youth, saying that it enables the Chinese government to gather data and conduct surveillance among its users who are 170 million in the US alone. Critics have said that TikTok acts in subordination to China and serves as a medium to spread propaganda of the Chinese communist government. But both TikTok and China have denied these claims.
The legislative action by the American Senate might lead to the expulsion of TikTok from the US market. The legislature received an approval of 79-18, followed by a strong bipartisan support in the House Of Representatives three days ago. President Biden has shown his intention to sign a bill into law.
Primary Objective Of US Legislation Regarding TikTok
The main objective of the legislation is to compel ByteDance to divest its TikTok operations in the US within a specified time frame is nine months with a three-month extension if required. This step is taken over the concerns that the Chinese government can access US user data or manipulate content for espionage and to spread propaganda of the CCP.
TikTok is expected to challenge the law by legal process. Immediately after the bill becomes law, TikTok may seek a preliminary injunction to halt its enforcement. This will help the company continue its operations till the court decides the case. This legal approach is consistent with TikTok’s previous strategies in confronting restrictive measures from US authorities.
Till the time the legal battle is resolved TikTok users in the US are not likely to experience any changes while using the app. The platform will continue its normal operations, providing content tailored to individual preferences through its algorithm until a court ruling halts its operations.
Consequences If Byte Dance Does Not Comply With The Order
If ByteDance fails to sell TikTok within the allocated timeframe and no legal injunctions are there then the app could be removed from major American App stores. This will affect new downloads and affect the functions of the app with existing users. This will not only affect people but also businesses who use the platform for marketing and spreading their business.
The Chinese government has opposed the legislation passed by the US Senate and is viewing this bill as another strain on the not-so-great US-China relations. China’s regulation of technology exports, including algorithms like those used by TikTok, could complicate any potential sale, adding another layer of complexity to the negotiations and international diplomatic interactions.
