A bill that could result in a statewide ban on TikTok was signed into law by US President, Joe Biden on Wednesday, greatly endangering the company’s US business.
The bill was approved by Congress this week as a component of a larger foreign aid package aimed at assisting Israel and Ukraine.
The Senate passed it on Tuesday, and the House approved it on Saturday. Since US officials started voicing worries about TikTok in 2020, the legislation represents the biggest risk to the service.
TikTok is required by current US law to locate a new owner within months or risk having its access to the country completely revoked.
US President, Biden’s approved law authorizes ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, 270 days to sell the app.
Important repercussions would follow failure to comply, TikTok would be banned from US app stores and from “internet hosting services” that facilitate it.
This would essentially prevent users from downloading the software from new and from interacting with its content.
In light of Biden’s decision to sign the measure on Wednesday, January 19, 2025 is the deadline for a sale.
But according to the law, if Biden thinks the firm has moved closer to a sale, he can extend the deadline by an additional ninety days.
This means TikTok might avoid a ban for up to a year.
