The US Senate voted to ban TikTok’s ownership by Chinese parent ByteDance Ltd.
It has set the stage for a constitutional clash over whether the prohibition deprives US users of their First Amendment free speech rights.
The measure, which also includes aid to Ukraine, Israel and Tawian in a $95 billion package, won sweeping bipartisan approval from senators.
Bill to Go to Biden For Signature
Senators showed concern the app’s collection of data from more than 170 million American users may allow China to use it for propaganda purposes.
President Joe Biden has said he will sign the measure into law.
The legislation would force TikTok’s China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban.
This has been a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that’s expected to face legal challenges.
The move will disrupt the lives of content creators who rely on the short-form video app for income.
Also Read: Kenya Contacts TikTok Over Data Infringement, Threat Among Minors
Nine Months Window Period to Sell TikTok
According to AP, a decision made by House Republicans last week to attach the TikTok bill to the high-priority package helped expedite its passage in Congress.
It came after negotiations with the Senate, where an earlier version of the bill had stalled.
That version had given TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, six months to divest its stakes in the platform.
But it drew skepticism from some key lawmakers concerned it was too short of a window for a complex deal that could be worth tens of billions of dollars.
“Congress is not acting to punish ByteDance, TikTok or any other individual company,” Senate Commerce Committee Chairwoman Maria Cantwell said.
“Congress is acting to prevent foreign adversaries from conducting espionage, surveillance, maligned operations, harming vulnerable Americans, our servicemen and women, and our U.S. government personnel.”
