Home Updates News A big, bold TikTok ban

A big, bold TikTok ban

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The vote in Congress also showed deep bipartisan concern. The bill passed 360-58 in the House and 78-18 in the Senate. In addition to data security, members of Congress were concerned that China was using TikTok to spread misinformation and propaganda. An independent investigation has found that the platform already appears to do so, making it difficult to find videos sympathetic to Taiwan, Tibet, Ukraine and other causes to which the Chinese Communist Party is hostile.

The biggest question now is what the incoming Trump administration will do. When he was president before, Donald Trump helped launch the crackdown on TikTok, calling it a national security risk. It has since changed its position for reasons that remain unclear. A TikTok investor and Republican donor apparently pressured Trump shortly before he spoke out against the ban. It also enjoys its popularity on the app.

The Biden administration said yesterday that it would not enforce the ban in the short period (36 hours) after it takes effect and before Trump takes office. Trump is reportedly considering an executive order to delay the ban while his administration tries to help negotiate a sale to a non-Chinese owner. The Chinese government, for its part, insists that it will not allow ByteDance to sell TikTok. Evidently, Beijing considers TikTok too valuable.

The range of outcomes in the coming weeks remains wide: including a closure, a sale, or some version of the established order combined with an ongoing legal fight.

Go inside the decision: To understand the Supreme Court’s reasoning, I recommend Adam Liptak’s article.

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