TikTok could be banned in US after House of Representatives passes bill

 


TikTok could be banned in the US if the social media app's Chinese owner doesn't sell its stake after the House of Representatives voted in support of the measure.

The TikTok legislation was included in a US foreign policy package which saw representatives approve sending $60.8bn (£49bn) in foreign aid to Ukraine, as well as money for Israel and Taiwan.

The package will now go to the US Senate, where it is likely to be passed on Tuesday. President Joe Biden has said he would sign the TikTok legislation once it reaches his desk.

If the bill becomes law, the owner of the popular video-sharing app will have nine months to find a buyer, with a possible three-month extension while a sale is in progress, or face a ban.

A previous bill passed by the House last month would have given owner ByteDance only six months to sell.

The company will likely try to challenge the law in court, arguing it would deprive the app's millions of users of their First Amendment rights, which protect freedom of speech.

Such court challenges could significantly delay the timeline set out by Congress or block the law from coming into effect.

In a statement, TikTok said: "It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill that would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate seven million businesses, and shutter a platform that contributes $24bn (£19bn) to the US economy, annually."

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