• The US government has mandated ByteDance to divest from TikTok within 6 months, or else TikTok will be banned.
  • There is strong opposition from the vast number of TikTok users.

OUR TAKE:
TikTok now boasts countless users in the US, including both audiences and content creators. The unjust threat to TikTok could result in a ban, depriving people not only of a platform for free expression but also of opportunities to earn a living.
— Iris Deng, BTW reporter

The US government forced ByteDance to divest TikTok in 6 months, or TikTok would be banned in the US. The users of TikTok still opposing.

TikTok is confronting serious threats from the US government

The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill on Wednesday, compelling TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance to divest within 6 months, failing which TikTok would face a ban. The bill received bipartisan support with a vote of 352 to 65, but its future in the Senate remains uncertain. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stated that the Senate will scrutinize the legislation.

The fate of TikTok has become a significant issue in Washington, with lawmakers reporting an inundation of calls from the 170 million users who oppose the legislation.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, in a video posted after the vote, cautioned that if the legislation is enacted, “it will result in a ban on TikTok in the United States… and would deprive creators and small businesses of billions of dollars.” He also mentioned his plans to visit Washington this week.

Also read: TikTok, Temu, Shein: Will China’s Amazon killers succeed?

The legislation concerning TikTok is still uncertain

Following the bill proposal, a public hearing was held with minimal debate, and further action in Congress was delayed for over a year. Last month, Biden’s re-election campaign partnered with TikTok, diminishing the company’s hopes for the legislation this year.

Senate Commerce Committee chair Maria Cantwell, a key figure in the Senate’s decision-making process, expressed her intent to craft legislation “that could withstand legal challenges.” She is contemplating a separate bill but remains unsure about the next steps.

Ahead of the vote, several dozen TikTok users gathered outside the Capitol, including 23-year-old Mona Swain, who joined TikTok in 2019. Swain supported her mother’s mortgage and funded her siblings’ college educations through earnings generated from her content on the app.

“It’s going to put a lot of people out of work, which is the scariest part,” Swain remarked about the bill.