Legislation to force China's ByteDance to divest TikTok was tied to foreign-aid package; President Biden has said he will sign TikTok bill into

Senate Passes TikTok Ban Bill, Setting Up Legal Battle Between App and U.S. on First Amendment Issues

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2024-04-24 03:00:06

Legislation to force China's ByteDance to divest TikTok was tied to foreign-aid package; President Biden has said he will sign TikTok bill into law

The U.S. Senate voted Tuesday to approve a bill that would ban TikTok nationwide unless Chinese parent company ByteDance sells its stake in the popular app. The development will likely result in a court battle between the U.S. and TikTok, which argues that the legislation violates the First Amendment.

The bill now moves to the desk of President Biden, a supporter of the TikTok divest-or-ban measure who has said he will sign it into law. U.S. lawmakers have expressed deep concern about TikTok’s Chinese ownership, suggesting that the Chinese communist regime could use the app to spy on Americans or use it to promulgate pro-China propaganda.

The Senate approval of the TikTok ban bill was tied to a $95 billion package of foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The Senate, by a 79-18 vote, OK’d the bundled legislation after the House passed the resolutions Saturday and sent them on an expedited basis to the Senate for approval on an up-or-down vote.