Is the US banning TikTok? President signs divest-or-ban bill

TikTok users across the United States of America are on red alert yet again after President Joe Biden signed a bill forcing ByteDance to either sell off its US TikTok operations — or face a ban in the country.

Over the last few years, the United States government has had several attempts to prevent TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, from having access to the data of US citizens due to data privacy concerns and its connection to the Chinese Communist Party.

The most recent move involves a bill that forces ByteDance to sell off its US operations within nine months from April 24, 2024, or face a ‘ban’ in the country. Here’s everything we know.

Is TikTok getting banned in the USA?

At the time of writing, the government in the United States of America has not announced a ban on TikTok in the country – but has passed a law that requires its parent company to sell off its US operations.

On April 24, 2024, President Joe Biden signed a bill that requires ByteDance to divest its US TikTok operations, selling it to a non-adversarial company. If they have a pending sale when that nine-month timer runs out, the US will provide ByteDance with a three-month extension.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew quickly issued a statement after Biden signed the bill into law, further revealing that they plan on fighting the decision in the courts immediately.

“Make no mistake, this is a ban. A ban on TikTok, a ban on you, and a ban on your voice,” he said. “Many who sponsored the bill admit a TikTok ban is their ultimate goal.”

“Rest assured, we aren’t going anywhere. We are confident, and we will keep fighting for your rights in the courts.”

We will update this article as further developments become known.