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President Biden has signed a bill that would ban TikTok if Chinese parent company ByteDance fails to sell it within a year. The US Senate approved the bill, which includes aid to Ukraine and Israel, by a vote of 79 to 18 late Tuesday after the chamber passed it overwhelmingly over the weekend.
The bill gives ByteDance nine months to divest TikTok, with a 90-day extension, to complete the deal. If ByteDance does not sell TikTok, it will become illegal for app stores to distribute the app in the United States.
In an emailed statement to TechCrunch, TikTok said it would challenge the “unconstitutional law” in court.
“We believe the facts and the law are clearly on our side, and we will prevail in the end,” the statement read. “The truth is, we have invested billions of dollars to keep American data secure and our platform free from outside influence and manipulation. This ban would destroy 7 million businesses and silence 170 million Americans. As we continue to challenge this unconstitutional ban, we will continue to invest and innovate to ensure TikTok remains a space where For Americans from all walks of life to safely come to share their experiences and find joy and inspiration.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew shared his own photo Video response on Wednesday, calling the news a “disappointing moment” and stating that TikTok will “keep fighting.”
In March, the House passed a similar standalone bill to ban TikTok or force its sale within six months, but the Senate never approved that bill. This time, the House packed the TikTok bill with foreign aid to US allies, essentially forcing the Senate to make a decision.
TikTok has spent the past few months arguing that its platform is essential for creators and small businesses in the United States. A few weeks ago, the company released an economic impact report revealing that TikTok generated $14.7 billion for small and medium-sized businesses in the United States.
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