Senate Passes Bill to Unlink TikTok from ByteDance, Awaits Presidential Nod

The Senate has just cleared the final legislative hurdle for a bill demanding that ByteDance divest from TikTok, sending the decision to President Biden for his signature.

This bill, part of a broader foreign aid package, heralds a potential constitutional showdown over the First Amendment rights of U.S. users, as it aims to ban TikTok’s ownership by its Chinese parent company.

Legal pundits anticipate that TikTok will launch a robust legal challenge against the ban, arguing it infringes on free speech and could set a chilling precedent for international investments in U.S. digital markets.

There are concerns that enforcing this separation could also impair user trust and freedoms across social platforms.

Should the bill become law, TikTok would have up to a year to secure a U.S. buyer—a complicated endeavor due to the app’s high valuation and geopolitical tensions.

Beijing's potential interference in the sale or technology transfer could further complicate matters, possibly extending TikTok's operational status in the U.S. during lengthy legal disputes.

This protracted process means TikTok could remain active for U.S. users for months, if not years, while the situation unfolds.