TikTok ban in the United States could take effect in less than a year

The United States has officially signed a TikTok ban into law, giving parent company ByteDance 270 days to sell TikTok's US operations. Failure to do so will see the app totally banned from US app stores and “internet hosting services” that support it.

Just like in 2020, when the US government also attempted to ban the social media app, TikTok intends to fight against it.

The bill, which US President Biden signed Wednesday, allows TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance 270 days to sell the app's US operations. If they do not comply, TikTok will be effectively banned from all US app stores and the “internet hosting services” necessary for it to operate.

Under this TikTok ban, new downloads from US app stores would not be possible. Additionally, those who already have the app would no longer have access to its content.

The deadline for TikTok to sell is currently set for Jan. 19, 2025. However, the deadline could be extended by 90 days if they are deemed to be progressing toward a sale. All in all, it could be up to just under a year until the TikTok ban takes effect.

There have been multiple attempts to ban TikTok from the United States government. These include an executive order by former President Trump in 2020 and a bill passed by the House in March. Both obviously failed, but the intention within the government has been there for years.

Various American politicians and lawmakers have long opposed TikTok's existence in the US, labeling it a risk to national security. They have repeatedly voiced concerns that the data of TikTok's American users could be accessed by the Chinese government. In fact, TikTok has already been banned from government-issued phones in the US, the UK, Canada, and New Zealand.

This time around, House Republicans threw the TikTok ban in as part of a much larger foreign aid package. With foreign aid being a high priority for the US, the bill made its way through much more easily.

TikTok is not alone in its opposition to this ban. With over 150 million Americans using the app as of March 2023 according to TikTok themselves, it's no surprise that many people are against the law.

At the time of a fall 2023 study by Pew Research Center, only 38% of Americans expressed support for a TikTok ban. On top of that, that number was on a downward trend from 50% in March 2023.

As for TikTok themselves, they intend to fight the ban in court. They claim the new law is "unconstitutional" and impedes American citizens' First Amendment right to free speech.

Unfortunately for TikTok, successfully fighting off yet another ban attempt might be its only option. Last year, the Chinese government stated that it would "heavily oppose" any sale of the TikTok app. They claimed that the action would "seriously undermine the confidence of investors from various countries, including China, to invest in the United States."

In addition to its influence on investors, China also has known laws prohibiting the sale of certain technologies, which could potentially block any sales considered by TikTok.

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