On April 24 (local time), US President Joe Biden signed a foreign aid package, including a bill forcing ByteDance to divest from TikTok within a year.
Thus, the clock has begun to count down for the Chinese company. They have at least nine months to carry out the transaction, although the president can extend it by three months if he sees progress.
Recently, the bill appeared to stall in the Senate after being passed by the House, political moves that helped get it to Mr. Biden’s desk faster. The House of Representatives included the TikTok bill in a foreign aid package for US allies, forcing the Senate to consider the measures at the same time.
TikTok spokesman Alex Haurek said the company will sue in court. This could add time if the court delays enforcement pending resolution. In addition, how China will react and whether it will allow ByteDance to sell TikTok or not remains open.
Haurek called the new law “unconstitutional” and affirmed that TikTok will continue to invest and innovate to ensure the platform is a space that Americans of all walks of life can use safely.
In a video posted on TikTok on April 24, CEO Shou Zi Chew spoke out against the ban and said that US lawmakers just want to disconnect the platform from its Chinese owner. “TikTok ban – ban on you and your voice,” the head of TikTok said in the video.
(According to The Verge)
