The US Senate has approved a law banning TikTok in its current form, after which President Joe Biden also signed the law. The Chinese parent company ByteDance will have a maximum of one year to sell the American branch, but will most likely challenge the law.
The vote was remarkably convincing with 79 senators in favor and 18 against. An earlier version of the law did not pass the Senate. This time the law was packaged in a bill with support for Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel, which attracted many votes.
Later, as previously indicated, President Biden also signed the law. ByteDance then has 270 days, with a possible extension of up to one year, to sell the American branch of TikTok. Otherwise, the app will be removed from the Google and Apple app stores.
Court case
TikTok does not intend to settle without a fight. In a memo to employees, CEO Michael Beckerman announced that the company will take the US government to court. TikTok calls the ban unconstitutional because it violates freedom of expression.
Experts expect TikTok to have a good chance in court. The legal battle may last years, causing the law to be suspended for the time being.
Sale unlikely
The chance that ByteDance will sell the American branch of TikTok is small. The Chinese government is firmly against this, as it would mean releasing the algorithm that drives TikTok’s success.
Privacy concerns
Western governments, including Europe, have long been concerned about the privacy aspects of TikTok. The app is extremely popular, but there are many questions about the data collection and the Chinese government’s possible access to that data.
