TikTok Ban: TikTok, a well-known social networking app, may soon face restrictions in the US. On Tuesday, the US Senate decided to pass a bill that would outlaw the Chinese app unless ByteDance, the app’s parent company, sold out its ownership.
US and TikTok Prepare for Legal Showdown
The US and TikTok, who contend that the law violates the First Amendment of the US Constitution, will probably fight it out in court as a result of this development. With about 170 million users, TikTok has the largest user base in the United States.
President Joe Biden, who has stated he will sign the TikTok divest-or-ban bill into law, will now receive the bill. Biden is thought to be in favor of the legislation. The US House of Representatives had previously approved the bill, and it was then forwarded to the Senate for ratification.
US Politicians Warn of TikTok’s Chinese Ownership
US politicians have voiced concerns over TikTok’s Chinese ownership, claiming that the regime there would use the app to invade the privacy of American residents or promote propaganda favoring China, according to a story published on the news portal Variety.
In response to the bill’s passing, Michael Beckerman, head of public policy for TikTok in the US, stated that the company will file a lawsuit as soon as the legislation is signed into law. Additionally, Beckerman attacked the TikTok divestment or ban, calling it “an unprecedented deal worked out between the Republican Speaker (Mike Johnson) and President Biden.”
TikTok Warns of Devastation to American Businesses
According to TikTok, the bill would “devastate” the estimated 7 million American businesses on the site and violate the free expression rights of its 170 million US users if it were to become law. Additionally, TikTok asserted that it brings $24 billion to the US economy every year. The US is not the only nation to attempt to outlaw TikTok. In 2020, TikTok was also banned in India because to national security concerns following the riots in the Galwan Valley.
Many continue to use VPNs to post on the app from India, meanwhile, and remain active. If TikTok is finally prohibited in the US, users there would have the same option. The app was likewise outlawed by the Nepali government in November 2023 due to security concerns. Additionally, TikTok is not allowed on federal government-owned devices in Australia, Canada, or New Zealand.