President Joe Biden signed a invoice on Wednesday that might ban TikTok from working inside the United States as early as subsequent 12 months.
After years of making an attempt, the House of Representatives and the Senate managed to cross a measure that might power TikTok to divest from Bytedance, its Chinese proprietor, inside a 12 months, or face a ban nationwide. The invoice was half of a bigger international support package deal offering help to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, making it tough for some lawmakers to vote in opposition to it. Aid to Ukraine has been a key a part of Biden’s agenda since Russia invaded in 2022, and final week he publicly endorsed the help package deal.
Notably, Biden’s Tuesday night time assertion responding to the Senate vote didn’t point out TikTok in any respect, as an alternative opting to focus on the $95 billion in international support included within the invoice.
“Congress has passed my legislation to strengthen our national security and send a message to the world about the power of American leadership: we stand resolutely for democracy and freedom, and against tyranny and oppression,” Biden mentioned.
“This unconstitutional legislation is a TikTok ban, and we’ll problem it in courtroom. We consider the info and the legislation are clearly on our facet, and we’ll finally prevail. The truth is, we have now invested billions of {dollars} to maintain U.S. knowledge protected and our platform free from outdoors affect and manipulation,” a TikTok spokesperson mentioned in an announcement on Wednesday. “This ban would devastate 7 million businesses and silence 170 million Americans. As we continue to challenge this unconstitutional ban, we will continue investing and innovating to ensure TikTok remains a space where Americans of all walks of life can safely come to share their experiences, find joy, and be inspired.”
The company’s CEO Shou Zi Chew published a TikTok on Wednesday calling the bill a ban.
“Congress passed a bill that the president signed into law that is designed to ban TikTok in the United States,” Chew mentioned. “ Make no mistake, this is a ban. A ban on TikTok and a ban on you and your voice.”
The Chinese authorities has previously indicated that it might not approve a sale, and has positioned export controls on the corporate’s algorithm.
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