In a significant move, President Joe Biden has signed into law a bill aimed at banning the popular social media app TikTok in the United States. The bill, which received earlier approval from the U.S. Congress, mandates TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, to divest the app within nine months or face a ban in the country.
President Biden appended his signature to the bill as part of the $95 billion foreign aid package approved by Congress this week, which also includes increased funding for countries like Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. The signing took place on Wednesday, marking a decisive step in the ongoing debate surrounding the security and privacy concerns associated with TikTok.
However, TikTok has swiftly responded to the new legislation, vowing to challenge it through legal means. In a statement issued by TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek, the company labeled the law as “unconstitutional” and declared its intention to contest it in court.
This development comes amidst ongoing tensions between TikTok and U.S. authorities, including former President Donald Trump’s previous attempts to force the sale of TikTok in 2020. Trump had issued an executive order seeking to prohibit any U.S.-based transactions with ByteDance if the company failed to divest the app within a 45-day period. However, TikTok successfully contested the order in court, securing a legal victory against the attempted ban.
