The U.S. Senate has overwhelmingly passed a bill to ban TikTok in the United States if its Chinese owner, ByteDance, doesn’t sell the popular short video app within the next nine to twelve months. Concerns among lawmakers about China potentially accessing Americans’ data or surveilling them through the app drove the decision.
Senator Marco Rubio emphasized the importance of the new law, stating that allowing the Chinese Communist Party to control such a widely used app in America was shortsighted. This move is seen as a positive step for the country’s security.
TikTok plans to challenge the bill citing First Amendment rights, with users also expected to take legal action. The American Civil Liberties Union warns that banning or requiring TikTok’s divestiture could set a concerning global precedent for government control over social media platforms.
Source: Reuters