President Joe Biden signed a bill on Wednesday that could lead to the ban of TikTok in the United States as soon as next year.
After several attempts over the years, both the US House of Representatives and the Senate successfully passed a measure requiring TikTok to separate from ByteDance, its Chinese parent company, within a year, or else face a nationwide ban. This legislation was included as part of a larger foreign aid package aimed at providing assistance to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, making it challenging for some lawmakers to oppose it. Providing aid to Ukraine has been a central focus of Biden’s agenda since Russia’s invasion in 2022, and last week, he publicly supported the aid package.
Interestingly, Biden’s response on Tuesday evening to the Senate vote did not mention TikTok whatsoever. Instead, he chose to emphasize the $95 billion in foreign aid incorporated into the bill.
“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 said.
“This unconstitutional law is a TikTok ban, and we will challenge it in court. We believe the facts and the law are clearly on our side, and we will ultimately prevail. The fact is, we have invested billions of dollars to keep US data safe and our platform free from outside influence and manipulation,” a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement 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.”
On Wednesday, the company’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, posted a TikTok referring to the bill as a ban.
“Congress passed a bill that the president signed into law that is designed to ban TikTok in the United States,” Chew said. “Make no mistake, this is a ban. A ban on TikTok and a ban on you and your voice.”
Previously, the Chinese government has indicated its disapproval of a sale and has implemented export controls on the company’s algorithm.