Everything You Need to Know About the Federal TikTok Ban Joe Biden Just Signed

People may have to resort to using Instagram Reels following the federal TikTok ban that President Joe Biden signed into law.

After making it’s way through the House and Senate on Wednesday, April 24, Biden, 81, signed a bill that would ban the popular social media platform unless its current owners, Chinese tech firm ByteDance, sell the app within 270 days. The bill, which was part of a $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies, comes after lawmakers claimed TikTok could be a threat to national security and used by the Chinese government to spy on Americans or spread disinformation.

“We are giving people a choice here: To improve this platform and have the opportunity for Americans to make sure that they are not being maligned by our foreign adversaries,” Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell said on the Senate floor, according to USA Today.

While the bill was signed this month, Biden put the deadline for a sale at January 19, 2025. However, he could extend the deadline another 90 days if he feels like the company has made progress toward a sale.

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Following news of the ban, TikTok’s CEO, Shou Chew, released a statement in response to the decision – and shared his disappointment.

“Make no mistake this is a ban on TikTok, and a ban on you and your voice,” Chew, 41, said in a TikTok video on Wednesday. “Politicians may say otherwise, but don’t get confused, many who sponsored the bill admit a TikTok ban is their ultimate goal. It’s obviously a disappointing moment, but it does not need to be a defining one.”

Chew noted that the ban “is actually ironic” because the “freedom of expression on TikTok reflects the same American values that make the United States a beacon of freedom.”

“TikTok gives everyday Americans a powerful way to be seen and heard, and that’s why so many people have made TikTok part of their daily lives,” he explained, before adding that TikTok will continue to keep fighting in court. “The facts and the Constitution are on our side, and we expect to prevail again.”

While the ban was signed into law already, Chew explained that people will still be able to “enjoy TikTok” due to the continued court battle.

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“In fact, if you have a story about how TikTok impacts your life, we’d love for you to share it, to showcase exactly what we’re fighting for,” Chew added. “Meanwhile, we will continue to invest and innovate to keep our community vibrant, exciting and safe. Through our U.S. Data Security efforts, we have built safeguards that no other peer company has made. We have invested billions of dollars to secure your data and keep our platform free from outside manipulation.”

Chew concluded his message by thanking everyone for the community people have built on the platform.

He added: “I can’t say this enough, this extraordinary, diverse community is what makes TikTok so special, what makes it matter and what makes it meaningful. And we’ll keep working to ensure you will always have the opportunity, the safety, and the freedom to enjoy all TikTok has to offer.”

This isn’t the first time the government has tried to ban the social media app from the United States. In August 2020, former President Donald Trump attempted to ban TikTok in an executive order.

“This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans’ personal and proprietary information – potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail and conduct corporate espionage,” the executive order read.

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Four months after the order, a U.S. District judge, Carl Nichols, halted the attempt after finding that Trump, 77, overstepped his authority.