what happens next?
Is The US Really Closer To Banning TikTok? Yes. And, Also: No
TikTok will now face a US ban unless it's sold to non-Chinese owners. But that won't happen immediately. Here's a 60-second explainer on what's next.
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The Lede
The US Senate passed a foreign-aid bill late Tuesday that contains a measure that would ban TikTok. President Joe Biden signed it on Wednesday. Does that mean TikTok is getting closer to being banned in the US? Absolutely. Will TikTok get banned in the US anytime soon? No.
Key Details
- Even though Biden signed the bill Wednesday, TikTok won't go anywhere immediately. The ban wouldn't go into effect until nine months now that the bill is signed — meaning 2025.
- The language around the proposed ban has been tweaked. Instead of requiring ByteDance to sell off its US operations in six months, the company now has nine months to get a deal done.
- Now that Biden has signed the bill, that countdown starts. Except that ByteDance has already said it will challenge the law in court.
