Joe Biden Signs Bill To Ban TikTok, App CEO Promises Lawsuit

DeMicia Inman
·3 min read
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On Wednesday morning (April 24), President Joe Biden signed a bill that includes a potential ban on TikTok in the United States if the company does not find a buyer. According to Politico, the endorsement comes after a nearly four-year effort that began with the administration of former President Donald Trump.

Tuesday night, the Senate voted to pass legilsaton that incldues the TikTok bill, as well as a foreign aid package for for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. Biden and Congress claim the Chinese-owned app threatens national security, alledging the Beijing government can demand U.S. user data from ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company.

They also claim China pushes propaganda via the app’s algorithms, with the Office of the Director of National Intelligenc in March reporting that China used TikTok to influence the 2022 U.S. midterm elections.

Joe Biden talking

“This unconstitutional law is a TikTok ban, and we will challenge it in court. We believe the facts and the law are clearly on our side, and we will ultimately prevail,” detailed a TikTok spokesperson in an emailed statement to VIBE.

“The fact is, we have invested billions of dollars to keep U.S. data safe and our platform free from outside influence and manipulation. This ban would devastate 7 million businesses and silence 170 million Americans. As we continue to challenge this unconstitutional ban, we will continue investing and innovating to ensure TikTok remains a space where Americans of all walks of life can safely come to share their experiences, find joy, and be inspired.”

TikTok logo
The TikTok logo is displayed outside TikTok offices on March 12, 2024 in Culver City, California. House Republicans are moving forward with legislation which would force the owners of the popular Chinese social media app to sell the platform or face a ban in the United States.

According to Rolling Stone, ByteDance now has 270 days to sell the app or be removed from app stores and web-hosting services. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew issued a video statement across social media following the move from POTUS, promising to take legal action.

“Make no mistake, this is a ban. A ban on TikTok and a ban on you and your voice,” Chew exclaimed.

“It’s actually ironic, because the freedom of expression on TikTok reflects the same American values that make the United States a beacon of freedom.”

According to a poll from The Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research published in Februrary 2024, 31% of U.S. adults say they would favor a nationwide ban on TikTok use, while 35% say they would oppose that type of action. 31% of adults say they neither favor nor oppose a ban on the social media platform.

Among the peeople who scroll or upload to TikTok at least daily, 73% are against the legislation.

Additionally, 56%, of U.S. adults said they would favor a more limited TikTok ban on government devices, such as government employees’ computers and phones, a rule already enforced in more than half of the country. Still, 6 in 10 U.S. adults — and 41% of daily TikTok users — are “extremely or very concerned” about the amount of time children and teenagers spend on TikTok, with 59% saying they are concerned about the spread of misinformation on the app.

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