Summary

  • The US Senate has passed a bill to sever ties between TikTok and its parent company ByteDance.
  • President Joe Biden is expected to sign the bill, giving ByteDance only nine months to sell its stake in TikTok or face a countrywide ban.
  • TikTok has engaged in aggressive lobbying campaigns to force Congress’ hand in its favor, but this new development leaves the social media app with few options.



Despite taking the world by storm, social media app TikTok hasn’t been fully immune from trouble in the US. Last month, the US House of Representatives passed a bill to cut ties between TikTok and its parent company ByteDance. The bill then moved into the US Senate for approval, the penultimate step before it reaches President Joe Biden’s desk, who can then sign it into law. In a massive 79-18 vote on Tuesday, the Senate resoundingly passed this bill, paving the way for a potential ban on the platform in the US.


The TikTok logo against a skyscraper landscape

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The proposed TikTok Divest or Ban bill is part of the $95 billion foreign aid package approved by the House not too long ago. All that remains now is the President’s signature, who has previously confirmed that he would sign it. When this happens, ByteDance will have nine months to sell its stake in TikTok. Failing to do so would lead to a complete ban on the app in the US.

As the BBC reports, TikTok has lobbied aggressively against the proposal to divest, previously urging users to oppose a ban on the app by reaching out to their legislators. However, this doesn’t appear to have impacted the US Congress, with legislators arguing that a divestment is necessary given the app’s close ties to the Chinese government and potential national security concerns.


So what happens to TikTok now?

TikTok banner at Gamescon.


Despite the newly passed bill, which will almost inevitably be signed into law by the President, things aren’t expected to be resolved within the nine-month deadline. A Law professor at the University of Richmond, Carl Tobias, told the BBC this issue could stretch on for a couple of years, adding that the process could be even lengthier if ByteDance doesn’t manage to find a suitable buyer for TikTok within nine months.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has already testified before the US Congress on a couple of occasions, trying to allay concerns about ByteDance’s ties to the Chinese administration. Shou even told Congress that TikTok “is not owned or controlled by the Chinese government.” But with the Senate now passing this legislation, it’s clear that TikTok and ByteDance are running out of options.