ByteDance

The Senate approved legislation mandating that TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, divest itself of the app within 270 days or risk expulsion from the US market. The bill, previously passed by the House, received President Biden's signature.

Designated as a foreign adversary controlled application, TikTok must be sold to another entity within the specified timeframe. President Biden retains the authority to extend this deadline by up to 90 days if a sale is actively being pursued. This requirement extends to any subsequent applications similarly identified. Failure by ByteDance to comply with the sale mandate would result in the removal of TikTok from US app stores and a prohibition on internet hosting services facilitating its distribution. Violating entities would be subject to civil penalties.

TikTok, the popular social media app with 170 million American users, faces imminent shutdown in the United States as a federal ban is set to take effect on Sunday. This development stems from a law signed in April requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to divest its U.S. operations. If ByteDance fails to comply, U.S. companies will be barred from supporting TikTok’s distribution, maintenance, or updates, effectively rendering the app inoperable. Users attempting to access the app will see a message directing them to a website explaining the ban.