Biden signs TikTok 'ban' bill into law, starting clock for ByteDance to divest - Zoomers on suicide watch

https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/24/24139036/biden-signs-tiktok-ban-bill-divest-foreign-aid-package

President Joe Biden signed a foreign aid package that includes a bill that would ban TikTok if China-based parent company ByteDance fails to divest the app within a year.

The divest-or-ban bill is now law, starting the clock for ByteDance to make its move. The company has an initial nine months to sort out a deal, though the president could extend that another three months if he sees progress.

While just recently the legislation seemed like it would stall out in the Senate after being passed as a standalone bill in the House, political maneuvering helped usher it through to Biden’s desk. The House packaged the TikTok bill — which upped the timeline for divestment from the six months allowed in the earlier version — with foreign aid to US allies, which effectively forced the Senate to consider the measures together. The longer divestment period also seemed to get some lawmakers who were on the fence on board.

TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek said in a statement that the company plans to challenge the law in the courts, which could ultimately extend the timeline should the courts delay enforcement pending a resolution. There also remains the question of how China will respond and whether it would let ByteDance sell TikTok and, most importantly, its coveted algorithm that keeps users coming back to the app.

“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,” Haurek said.

“Make no mistake, this is a ban,” TikTok CEO Shou Chew said in a video posted on TikTok Wednesday, objecting to some lawmakers’ assertions that they just want to see the platform disconnected from Chinese ownership. “A ban on TikTok and a ban on you and your voice.”

Update, April 24th: The article has been updated with an official statement from a TikTok spokesperson and its CEO.

 

[Male Idiot]

Hm, so the Chinese could just make a new company and have Bytedance sell to it? Like to lets say Ooga corporation that is owned by Tencent and is based in lets say Zimbabwe?

 

[Lord of the Large Pants]

Make no mistake, this isn't about TikTok. It's about Twitter.

 

[Beautiful Border]

Friendly reminder that the biggest proponents of this bill have been the ADL and AIPAC because they're terrified that TikTok is exposing Gen Z to pro-Palestine content.

 

[Lone MacReady II]

We'll still use your stolen shekels to fund NPR propaganda against you though goy... The Americandan State is so consumed by double-standards that even its fall is getting degenerated, boring, and lame.

 

[Dr. Ricearoni]

This is a huge win for free Americans. With this, china will no longer harvest your data and try to infect your children with propaganda. Now the American government will handle the data harvesting, as God intended.

 

[WelperHelper99]

Make no mistake, this isn't about TikTok. It's about Twitter.

This is what I fear. If it WAS just TikTok in a vacuum, I couldn't give the slightest fuck. But it's so fucking broad, gives the president the power to go after ANY site, instead of just going "TikTok is banned losers, cry more.". I'm torn. I want TikTok dead but I also know this is worse than the patriot act.

 

[Ogre Magi]

The House packaged the TikTok bill — which upped the timeline for divestment from the six months allowed in the earlier version — with foreign aid to US allies, which effectively forced the Senate to consider the measures together.

Lol, leave it to our politicians to lump giving more money to the likes of Ukraine and Israel as the driving force in passing this bill.

This is what I fear. If it WAS just TikTok in a vacuum, I couldn't give the slightest fuck. But it's so fucking broad, gives the president the power to go after ANY site, instead of just going "TikTok is banned losers, cry more.". I'm torn. I want TikTok dead but I also know this is worse than the patriot act.

What's the over/under for how quickly they'll go after Xitter? A year? Maybe sooner considering we are in an election year?

 

[kcbbq]

Hm, so the Chinese could just make a new company and have Bytedance sell to it? Like to lets say Ooga corporation that is owned by Tencent and is based in lets say Zimbabwe?

They already tried that, that's the current situation.

 

[Drama Fan]

If the Supreme Court could quick step in and save us from this utterly retarded overreach, that would be nice.

 

[WelperHelper99]

What's the over/under for how quickly they'll go after Xitter? A year? Maybe sooner considering we are in an election year?

I assume immediately. On the flip side, they attack Musk, he has the financial capital to take it to SCOTUS if he chooses

 

[Male Idiot]

They already tried that, that's the current situation.

What's stopping them from trying again? If they wanted to het rid of it, they would shut it down, oy vey.

This is what I fear. If it WAS just TikTok in a vacuum, I couldn't give the slightest fuck. But it's so fucking broad, gives the president the power to go after ANY site, instead of just going "TikTok is banned losers, cry more.". I'm torn. I want TikTok dead but I also know this is worse than the patriot act.

It isn't dead, it will just be more progressive and feed you yid propaganda instead of chink in the best case scenario. This looks like a takeover, not a ban.

I guess the Chinks could not sell and have it banned in that case just to deny (((them))) the platform. But I think they'll have just the chinks shuffle the companies around.

 

[sassblassted]

Good fucking riddance. The absolute and unrivaled irony of a state-owned Chinese company complaining about american voices being censored (they're not) is just baffling.
On the other hand, it'll be interesting to find out whether we will be allowed to host videos of the Uyghur Genocide in the coming 9 months.
I'm cautiously optimistic, but i honest to god believe that ByteDance would rather shut down their operations than sell to America, solely to save face.

 

[NOT Satoshi Nakamoto]

I can't find the original language of this bill, name of the bill, or any primary source material about it on any search engine. Just journalism.

 

[No. 7 cat]

This seems okay. While the object is to have a US based company feed propaganda and moral corruption to the proles and not a Chicom one for a pile of dough and a lot of power isn't hardly pure, it's probably an improvement. Bytedance seem already to be engaged in shell company shenanigans and it's likely the sale will be to a chum of theirs, but this brought the politicians together, so bask in goodness of that.

 

[HOMO FOR LIFE RETURNS]

TikTok is a cancer to the world.

Now, they should ban instagram and we good

 

[Bonedome]

I can't find the original language of this bill, name of the bill, or any primary source material about it on any search engine. Just journalism.

I was curious about that. What else is in the bill that lets them go after Twitter?

 

[Google.com]

I despise Tik-Tok, but I don't see how this is at all constitutional and it's not going to stop with Tik-Tok Just going to expand this to more and more foreign programs and apps. Another short sighted jerk reaction by the freedom loving amerimutt public.

If the Supreme Court could quick step in and save us from this utterly retarded overreach, that would be nice.

The Supreme court is a bunch of pussy ass bitches, they don't address shit like this. Only things they can do with minimal push back.

 

[Johnny Salami]

Can't wait for Joe to tell that fat fuck Null to sell Kiwifarms or else he'll ban him from the cheese isles

 

[Goofy Logic]

Make no mistake, this isn't about TikTok. It's about Twitter.

This is what I fear. If it WAS just TikTok in a vacuum, I couldn't give the slightest fuck. But it's so fucking broad, gives the president the power to go after ANY site, instead of just going "TikTok is banned losers, cry more.". I'm torn. I want TikTok dead but I also know this is worse than the patriot act.

Isn't the wording to go after foreign-owned social media companies? Since Xitter is US-owned, they wouldn't have much to stand on.

The question I have is what about shell companies? What's stopping the Chinese from forming a US-based company that is just a sockpuppet for their tentacles to look legal?