https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/24/24139036/biden-signs-tiktok-ban-bill-divest-foreign-aid-package

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Biden signs TikTok 'ban' bill into law, starting the clock for
ByteDance to divest it

Biden signs TikTok 'ban' bill into law, starting the clock for
ByteDance to divest it

/

The legislation requires China-based parent company ByteDance to
divest TikTok in nine months to a year in order to avoid an effective
ban in the US.

By Lauren Feiner, a senior policy reporter at The Verge, covering the
intersection of Silicon Valley and Capitol Hill. She spent 5 years
covering tech policy at CNBC, writing about antitrust, privacy, and
content moderation reform.

Apr 24, 2024, 3:02 PM UTC

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Photo collage of the TikTok logo over a photograph of the US Capitol
building.
Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photo from Getty Images

President Joe Biden signed a foreign aid package that includes a bill
that would ban TikTok if China-based parent company ByteDance fails
to divest the app within a year.

The divest-or-ban bill is now law, starting the clock for ByteDance
to make its move. The company has an initial nine months to sort out
a deal, though the president could extend that another three months
if he sees progress.

While just recently the legislation seemed like it would stall out in
the Senate after being passed as a standalone bill in the House,
political maneuvering helped usher it through to Biden's desk. The
House packaged the TikTok bill -- which upped the timeline for
divestment from the six months allowed in the earlier version -- with
foreign aid to US allies, which effectively forced the Senate to
consider the measures together. The longer divestment period also
seemed to get some lawmakers who were on the fence on board.

TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek said in a statement that the company
plans to challenge the law in the courts, which could ultimately
extend the timeline should the courts delay enforcement pending a
resolution. There also remains the question of how China will respond
and whether it would let ByteDance sell TikTok and, most importantly,
its coveted algorithm that keeps users coming back to the app.

"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," Haurek said. 

"Make no mistake, this is a ban," TikTok CEO Shou Chew said in a
video posted on TikTok Wednesday, objecting to some lawmakers'
assertions that they just want to see the platform disconnected from
Chinese ownership. "A ban on TikTok and a ban on you and your voice."

Update, April 24th: The article has been updated with an official
statement from a TikTok spokesperson and its CEO.

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