The US Senate has recently passed a significant bill that could lead to a ban on TikTok, a popular video-sharing app unless its Chinese owners sell it within the next nine months to a year. This decision, widely supported in the Senate with a vote of 79 to 18, follows concerns among US lawmakers about potential risks to national security. The bill, which also includes financial support for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, is set to be signed into law by President Joe Biden on Wednesday.
According to Reuters, the bill aims to prevent China from potentially accessing or monitoring data from American TikTok users. “For years we’ve allowed the Chinese Communist party to control one of the most popular apps in America that was dangerously shortsighted,” Senator Marco Rubio stated, emphasizing the need for the app’s sale.
The move by the Senate has sparked strong reactions. China has criticized the US actions as unfounded, noting that no evidence suggests TikTok poses a security threat. Meanwhile, TikTok plans to challenge the bill based on the First Amendment, which protects free speech. Similarly, the American Civil Liberties Union has warned that such a ban could lead to global repercussions, encouraging other countries to impose similar restrictions on social media platforms.
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Experts suggest that the new legislation will give the Biden administration a stronger basis to enforce a ban if TikTok‘s owners do not comply with the divestment requirement. This comes after previous attempts by the Trump administration to ban the app were blocked by courts. Reuters mentions that the new bill provides the White House with tools to ban or force sales of any foreign-owned apps considered security threats.
Democratic Senator Ron Wyden expressed concerns about the broad authority the bill could grant future administrations, which might infringe on Americans’ rights to free speech. “This provides broad authority that could be abused by a future administration to violate Americans’ First Amendment rights,” he noted.
As TikTok faces a potential ban or forced sale, the outcome could significantly impact its 170 million users in the US and reshape internet and technology interactions between the US and China. As noted by Reuters, this decision is also likely to feature prominently in the upcoming November presidential campaign, with former President Donald Trump urging young voters to weigh the implications of a TikTok ban.
This development marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing tensions over technology and data privacy between the US and China, setting the stage for future legal and political battles over control and access to digital information and platforms.
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