The bill that could lead to TikTok being banned in the USA seems much closer to becoming law. The legislation passed the House of Representatives last month, but due to opposition from several prominent senators, the TikTok bill has yet to be approved by the Senate. However, the likelihood of approval of the “Protecting Americans from Controlled Practices by Foreign Enemies Act” is increasing.
The House of Representatives is set to vote on a package of bills this weekend that includes a slightly revised version of the TikTok bill. In the latest version of the bill, ByteDance would have up to 12 months to divest TikTok, instead of the six months envisioned in the original measure.
According to NBC News; The change is key to winning the support of some skeptical members of the Senate, including Sen. Maria Cantwell, chair of the Senate Commerce Committee. The revised bill is expected to be approved by the US House of Representatives next Saturday. Because this bill is part of a package that also includes aid to Ukraine and Israel. The bill is expected to come to the US Senate next week. US President Joe Biden had previously announced that he would approve the bill if it was passed by Congress.
TikTok will challenge the law
If the bill becomes law, TikTok (and other apps that are potentially “controlled by a foreign adversary” and considered a national security threat) would be banned from US app stores unless sold to another person or entity. The company's CEO, Shou Chew, had previously announced that they would officially object to the law.
In a previous statement from TikTok on the subject, the following statements were used: “The House of Representatives has passed a ban bill that will trample the freedom of expression of 170 million Americans, destroy 7 million businesses and shut down a platform that contributes 24 billion dollars to the US economy every year.” “It is unfortunate that he is using the mask of important foreign and humanitarian aid to obstruct once again.”