President Biden signs measure requiring TikTok to be sold or banned

Today (April 24), President Joe Biden signed a bill into law that could mean the end of TikTok in the United States. According to the measure, ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns the social media app, must sell it off within nine months or have it banned from the country.

As REVOLT previously reported, members of Congress believe that TikTok's data could be shared with China, which would create a danger to homeland security.

"Communist China is America’s largest geopolitical foe and is using technology to actively undermine America’s economy and security," claimed House Speaker Mike Johnson in a tweet. "Apps like TikTok allow the Chinese Communist Party to push harmful content to our youth and engage in malign activities, such as harvesting the location, purchasing habits, contacts, and sensitive data of Americans."

Despite this, Biden's 2024 presidential campaign will continue to use the popular platform. "A fragmented media environment requires us to show up and meet voters where they are — and that includes online,” a campaign official said to NBC News. “TikTok is one of many places we’re making sure our content is being seen by voters.”

TikTok responded to the news in a statement on Twitter, calling the law "unconstitutional." The message also confirmed that the company will challenge the potential ban in court.

"The fact is, we have invested billions of dollars to keep U.S. data safe and our platform free from outside influence and manipulation," the statement read. "This ban would devastate seven 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." In a video, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew echoed those sentiments and called the move a “disappointing moment.”

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