In a recent vote, the House passed legislation that could lead to a ban on TikTok in the United States. Under the bill, ByteDance, TikTok’s owner, would be required to sell to an American company or face a domestic ban. The bill is now heading to the Senate for further review.
To expedite the bipartisan legislation, House Speaker Mike Johnson combined it with a bill allowing the US to seize Russian assets and aid bills for Taiwan, Israel, and Ukraine that had been stalled in Congress. This move is expected to see the legislation pass quickly through the Senate.
The combined package of legislation will soon head to the Senate, where it is likely to be approved. In the past, American politicians have voiced concerns about TikTok sharing user data with the Chinese government. Former President Donald Trump had previously tried to ban the app, but has since changed his stance, suggesting that a ban on TikTok could benefit Meta, Facebook’s parent company.
President Joe Biden has indicated that he will sign the legislation if it passes the Senate, despite potential legal challenges from ByteDance, TikTok users and creators. ByteDance has expressed concerns that this legislation will result in a total ban of TikTok in