Biden signs TikTok ‘ban’ bill into law, starting the clock for ByteDance to divest it

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President Joe Biden signed a overseas assistance bundle that includes a bill that would prohibition TikTok if China-based genitor institution ByteDance fails to divest the app wrong a year.

The divest-or-ban measure is present law, starting the timepiece for ByteDance to marque its move. The institution has an archetypal 9 months to benignant retired a deal, though the president could widen that different 3 months if helium sees progress.

While conscionable precocious the authorities seemed similar it would stall retired successful the Senate aft being passed arsenic a standalone measure successful the House, governmental maneuvering helped usher it done to Biden’s desk. The House packaged the TikTok measure — which upped the timeline for divestment from the six months allowed successful the earlier mentation — with overseas assistance to US allies, which efficaciously forced the Senate to see the measures together. The longer divestment play besides seemed to get immoderate lawmakers who were connected the obstruction connected board.

TikTok plans to situation the instrumentality successful the courts, Bloomberg reported based connected an interior memo, which could yet widen the timeline should the courts hold enforcement pending a resolution. There besides remains the question of however China volition respond and whether it would fto ByteDance merchantability TikTok and, astir importantly, its coveted algorithm that keeps users coming backmost to the app.