In a move set to shake the social media landscape, the Senate has passed a legislation mandating TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell the platform or risk a ban.
This decision, embedded in a larger $95 billion package providing foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel, has sparked concerns among content creators and legal analysts.
The legislation, passed with a vote of 79-18, will now head to President Joe Biden for signature, following his statement expressing intent to sign it on Wednesday.
Originally proposed by House Republicans, the bill faced revisions and extensions in the Senate, giving ByteDance nine months to divest its stakes in TikTok, with a possible three-month extension if negotiations are underway.
Sen. Maria Cantwell, chairwoman of the Senate Commerce Committee, framed the legislation as a safeguard against foreign interference, citing long-standing bipartisan apprehensions over Chinese influence.
However, opponents caution against the bill’s potential impact on free speech and privacy rights, urging for a comprehensive federal data privacy law instead.
Despite bipartisan support, some lawmakers harbor reservations. Sen. Ron Wyden stressed concerns about privacy protection and potential misuse of the bill to curtail First Amendment rights.
Meanwhile, China has signaled opposition, with TikTok preparing a lawsuit to challenge the legislation’s constitutionality.
The bill’s passage marks the latest chapter in TikTok’s tumultuous relationship with U.S. authorities. Previous attempts by the Trump administration to ban the app were thwarted by legal challenges.
Now, content creators, reliant on TikTok for income, are rallying against the bill, highlighting the platform’s importance and citing TikTok’s efforts to secure user data through initiatives like Project Texas.
As the bill awaits Biden’s signature, the future of TikTok hangs in the balance, with legal battles looming large and content creators voicing their concerns in the nation’s capital.
