MAY 7, 2024:
UNDATED (AP)- TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance are suing the U.S. federal government over a law that would ban the popular video-sharing app unless it’s sold to another company. The lawsuit filed on Tuesday (May 7, 2024) may be setting up what could be a protracted legal fight over its future in the United States. The popular social video company alleged the law, which President Joe Biden signed as part of a larger $95 billion foreign aid package, is so “obviously unconstitutional” that the sponsors of The Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act are trying to portray the law not as a ban, but as a regulation of TikTok’s ownership.
APRIL 24, 2024:
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has passed legislation that would force TikTok’s China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that’s expected to face legal challenges and disrupt the lives of content creators who rely on the short-form video app for income. The TikTok legislation was included as part of a larger $95 billion package that provides foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel. It now goes to President Joe Biden, who said in a statement immediately after passage that he will sign it on Wednesday.
MARCH 25, 2024:
WASHINGTON (AP) — TikTok’s extensive lobbying campaign is the latest tech industry push since the House passed legislation that would ban the popular app if its China-based owner doesn’t sell its stake. Tech industry lobbying has paid off many times over as Congress has so far failed to act on bills that would protect users’ privacy, protect children from online threats, make companies more liable for their content and put loose guardrails around artificial intelligence, among other things. Some see the TikTok bill as the best chance for now to regulate the industry and set a precedent, even if it is a narrow one.
MARCH 18, 2024:
Extended version:
MARCH 13, 2024:
WASHINGTON (AP) — A bill that could lead to a ban of the popular video app TikTok is expected to pass the House as lawmakers act on concerns the company’s ownership structure is a threat to American national security. The bill would require the Chinese firm ByteDance to divest from TikTok and other applications it owns within six months of the bill’s enactment or those apps will be prohibited. The lawmakers contend ByteDance is beholden to the Chinese government, which can demand access to the data of TikTok’s consumers in the U.S. TikTok denies it could be used as a Chinese government tool. The bill is likely to pass Wednesday (March 13, 2024) but still has a long way to go in the Senate.
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