The bill that could lead to a ban on TikTok in the United States appears to be much closer to becoming law. The legislation sailed through the House of Representatives last month but faced an uncertain future in the Senate due to opposition from a few prominent lawmakers.
However, momentum for the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” seems to once again be growing.
The House is set to vote on a package of bills this weekend, which includes a slightly revised version of the TikTok bill. In the latest version of the bill, ByteDance would have up to 12 months to divest TikTok, instead of the six months stipulated in the original measure.
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That change, as NBC News notes, was key to winning over support from some sceptical members of the Senate, including Sen. Maria Cantwell, Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee.
So, with the House expected to pass the revised bill on Saturday — it’s part of a package that also includes aid to Ukraine and Israel — its path forward is starting to look much more certain, with a Senate vote coming “as early as next week,” according to NBC.
President Joe Biden has said he would sign the bill if Congress passes it.
If passed into law, TikTok (and potentially other apps “controlled by a foreign adversary” and deemed to be a national security threat) would face a ban in US app stores if it declined to sell to a new owner.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew has suggested the company would likely mount a legal challenge to the law.
“Unfortunately, the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill that would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate 7 million businesses, and shutter a platform that contributes $24 billion to the U.S. economy annually,” TikTok said in a statement.
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