In a major legislative development, President Joe Biden is expected to sign a new law on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, that requires ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, to divest from the app within a year. The decision came after the Senate approved a bill linked to foreign aid, which also addressed concerns over TikTok’s ownership and data security.
The legislation, which was first passed by the House of Representatives, aims to address security worries about Chinese government access to data from U.S. TikTok users. Despite ByteDance's assurances of data privacy, the U.S. government remains skeptical.
"The Chinese Communist Party's control over such a popular app has been a significant oversight," Senator Marco Rubio commented. "This law is a crucial step towards protecting America."
The Senate passed the bill with a substantial majority, voting 79 to 18. The bill was part of a larger package that includes $95 billion in aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. Although framed as a divestment requirement, many like Senator Ed Markey see it as a straightforward TikTok ban, which he believes signals a move towards censorship.
In response to the Senate's decision, ByteDance plans to challenge the impending law in court, though it has not yet made a public statement following the Senate's approval.
The push to ban TikTok started under the Trump administration in 2020, with President Trump himself now reportedly opposing the ban.
