In a decisive move, the US Senate has passed a bill that could spell the end for the popular short-form video app TikTok if its parent company, ByteDance, fails to divest. The bipartisan-backed legislation aims to curb potential Chinese government influence over US elections and safeguard American data privacy.
The bill, supported by both Democratic and Republican senators, addresses concerns that ByteDance, under Chinese government pressure, could exploit TikTok to manipulate US elections by accessing user data. Senate Commerce Committee Chairwoman Maria Cantwell emphasized that the measure aims to protect Americans from foreign espionage and surveillance.
Initially, the bill gave ByteDance a six-month window to sell TikTok, which was deemed insufficient by some lawmakers due to the complexity of the deal. In response, the revised legislation extends the deadline to nine months, with a possible three-month extension if a sale is underway. Additionally, the bill restricts ByteDance from controlling TikTok’s core technology, crucial for its algorithm-driven content delivery.
This TikTok legislation is bundled within a $95 billion package intended to bolster Israel’s air defenses and support Ukraine against Russian aggression. The bill now awaits President Joe Biden’s signature, who has expressed support for the TikTok proposal and pledged to sign the package promptly, likely on Wednesday.
However, critics argue that banning TikTok won’t necessarily thwart Chinese government efforts to obtain American data, pointing out alternative avenues like commercial data brokers. Nonetheless, the bill marks a significant step in addressing national security concerns surrounding Chinese-owned tech platforms operating in the United States.
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