New US draft bill to push ByteDance to divest TikTok amidst national security concerns

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers has introduced a new draft of legislation compelling China’s ByteDance to divest TikTok within six months or face a US ban, citing national security concerns over its Chinese ownership.

The proposed bill grants ByteDance 165 days to divest the app, which over 170 million Americans use. If not compliant, it would render TikTok unavailable on app stores such as Apple and Google or any other app to offer TikTok or provide web hosting services to apps controlled by ByteDance. At the same time, the legislation establishes that the bill does not target individual users of the affected app.

According to Reuters, the White House National Security Council welcomes the bipartisan bill requiring China’s ByteDance to divest TikTok within six months, addressing national security concerns. The Biden administration aims to collaborate with Congress to enhance and solidify the legislation, emphasizing the joint effort to mitigate risks associated with tech services in the US that jeopardize sensitive data and national security.

This marks the first significant legislative move almost a year after previous attempts to ban TikTok stalled in Congress. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), raised their concerns stating that the proposed bill is unconstitutional and that lawmakers violate First Amendment rights for political gains. Past concerns over TikTok’s Chinese ownership triggered legislative efforts, but none have been enacted.