The possibility of a ban on TikTok in the US has moved a step closer after the Senate agreed a landmark bill to force its China-based parent company into selling the app.
The bill gives ByteDance nine months to sell the popular social media platform – with the possibility of a three-month extension to finalise a deal – or the app will be blocked.
The bill passed through the Senate on Tuesday as part of a larger $95bn (£76.2bn) package that provides foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel.
It will now be sent to US President Joe Biden, who will sign it on Wednesday.
However, the company will likely launch a legal challenge against the bill, arguing it will deprive the app’s 170 million US users of their First Amendment rights – which protect freedom of speech.
It could also face opposition from TikTok’s content creators who rely on the platform for their income, while China has previously said it would oppose a forced sale of the popular app.
The bill is a culmination of long-held fears on both sides of the political spectrum in Washington over ownership of TikTok.
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For years, politicians and officials in the US have expressed concerns that Chinese authorities could force ByteDance to hand over US user data.
TikTok has said it has never done that and would not do so if asked.
The use of TikTok by the federal government’s nearly four million employees on devices owned by its agencies is already banned in the US, with limited exceptions for law enforcement, national security and security research purposes.
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Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell said the move to force TikTok’s sale was not aimed at “punishing” ByteDance, TikTok, or other companies.
“Congress is acting to prevent foreign adversaries from conducting espionage, surveillance, maligned operations, harming vulnerable Americans, our servicemen and women, and our US government personnel,” she said.
Sky News has contacted TikTok for comment.