Is This The End For TikTok? Biden's Bill Might Say Yes

Find out how TikTok might have to say goodbye unless it makes a big change soon!

Davy

• Published in Interesting
• April 27, 2024

President Joe Biden has just signed a bill that puts TikTok’s future in the US on shaky ground. This new legislation challenges TikTok to find a new owner based in the US within the next year, or risk being banned completely.

This move comes after long-standing concerns about privacy and data security associated with TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, which is based in China.

TikTok, the popular video-sharing app, faces a potential ban in the United States following a decisive action by President Joe Biden.

After much debate and a strong majority in the Senate, President Biden signed a bill that could lead to TikTok’s ban if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, does not sell it.

This recent development has started a countdown: ByteDance has nine months to secure an American buyer for TikTok. If they manage to find a buyer and the sale is underway, they will receive an additional three months to complete the transaction. The urgency to sell TikTok stems from longstanding fears that the app could allow the Chinese government to access sensitive user data.

TikTok has responded strongly against this potential ban, calling the new law 'unconstitutional.' The platform argues that it has heavily invested in protecting U.S. user data and maintaining its autonomy from external influences.

According to TikTok, this ban would not only disrupt its business but also affect the 170 million Americans who use the app and the seven million businesses that rely on it for marketing and community engagement.

The company has vowed to fight the legislation in court, which could delay the ban's implementation. Legal experts anticipate that these court challenges could extend the process by months or even years.

However, if ByteDance cannot find a buyer and the legal efforts fail, TikTok could be banned in as little as one year.

What does this mean for TikTok’s users and content creators? The ban would prevent any support for the app by web-hosting services, which means that companies like Google and Apple would have to remove TikTok from their stores. This would stop users from receiving app updates, leading to security risks and a gradual decline in usability.

Many TikTok creators, who have turned their platforms into sources of income, have expressed concern about the potential ban. They fear losing a vital tool for creativity and community building.

If TikTok is banned, they will have to find alternative platforms and hope their followers will move with them. This uncertainty underscores the significant impact that this legislation could have on the landscape of social media in America.

Davy