Joe Biden signs bill seeking to ban TikTok, what happens next

US President Joe Biden has signed the bill that calls for a ban on TikTok if ByteDance doesn’t divest its stake in the app. The bill, cleared by the Senate yesterday, was tied with foreign aid packages to expedite the process.

The move was expected, given Biden had previously come out in support of the bill and vowed to sign it as soon as it reached his table.

Now that the controversial bill stands approved by the US President, ByteDance has 9 months to either divest its stakes or face a ban in the USA. If progress is made, as per the bill, Biden can allow another 3 months for the sale to go through.

TikTok calls the bill unconstitutional, vows to fight in court

TikTok’s official statement calls the bill unconstitutional, confirms challenging it in court, and highlights how the platform is safe. The statement reads,

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 U.S. data safe and our platform free from outside influence and manipulation. This ban would devastate seven 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.

CEO of TikTok, Shou Zi Chew, in a 2-minute video posted on the app, said,

We are confident and we will keep fighting for your rights in the courts. Rest assured, we aren’t going anywhere.

Experts believe that if TikTok was to approach the court, it would take at least several years before the US government can legally block the app. Previous orders to block TikTok at the state level were set aside by a federal judge in Montana.

So we are most likely headed for an endless legal battle between the US government and TikTok. While the former believes that the app is a national security risk, the latter has refuted the claims, citing that it doesn’t share the user’s data with China.

Ever since it became apparent that the bill be cleared, TikTok has been urging users for support. Now that the bill has transformed into law, it will be interesting to watch how users show their support!

What’s your take on Joe Biden signing the bill to ban TikTok? Share with our readers in the comments section.