The Senate passed a bill on Tuesday that would force a sale of TikTok by its Chinese owner, ByteDance, or ban the popular social media app outright. The measure, which is expected to be signed into law quickly by President Biden, comes amid concerns about national security risks due to TikTok’s Chinese ties.
The proposed law would give ByteDance 270 days to sell TikTok, with the possibility of an extension to a year. However, the process is expected to face legal challenges and potential resistance from Beijing, which could block the sale or export of the technology.
Experts predict that the issue could take months or even years to resolve, during which time TikTok would likely continue to operate for U.S. consumers. The situation is described as a “royal mess” by Anupam Chander, a visiting scholar at Harvard.
TikTok is expected to challenge the measure in court, likely arguing that a forced sale could violate users’ free speech rights. The company has a history of success in similar First Amendment battles, with previous attempts to ban or sell the app being blocked by federal judges.
The price tag for TikTok is estimated to be in the tens of billions of dollars, limiting potential buyers to those with significant resources. The process of separating TikTok from ByteDance is expected to be complex, particularly regarding the app’s recommendation algorithm, which is owned by ByteDance.
China’s role in the potential sale is also uncertain, with the Chinese government previously expressing opposition to a sale of TikTok. There are concerns that China could retaliate against American companies, as seen in a recent demand for Apple to remove Meta’s WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store.
Overall, the future of TikTok in the United States remains uncertain as the legal and logistical challenges of a potential sale unfold.
