TikTok ban bill signed by Biden - now what?
FILE - The TikTok logos are being displayed on a smartphone screen and on a computer screen. (Photo by Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
- President Bill signed the "TikTok ban" bill on Wednesday.
- But, don’t expect the app to go away anytime soon.
TikTok may be forced out of the U.S. after certain legislation was passed by Congress in the last few days.
On Wednesday, President Biden signed the bill that forces the popular video sharing app to be sold or be banned in U.S. But, don’t expect it to go away anytime soon.
Why does the US want to ban TikTok?
Fears in Washington have been ongoing over Chinese threats and the ownership of TikTok, which is used by 170 million Americans.
For years, lawmakers and administration officials have expressed concerns that Chinese authorities could force ByteDance, the Beijing-based parent company of TikTok, to hand over U.S. user data, or influence Americans by suppressing or promoting certain content in the algorithm.
TikTok, for its part, has denied assertions that it could be used as a tool of the Chinese government. The company has also said it has never shared U.S. user data with Chinese authorities and won’t do so if it’s asked.
The bill that would lead to its ban was rolled into a larger $95 billion package that provides foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel.
RELATED: Potential TikTok ban, $95B foreign aid bill approved by Senate
Up to one year to sell
Here’s the first reason why the app won’t be going away anytime soon in the U.S.: The measure gives ByteDance nine months to sell, and three more if a sale is underway.
If this doesn’t happen, that’s when TikTok will be banned.
Likely court challenges
The second reason is that TikTok, which has long denied it’s a security threat, is also preparing a lawsuit to block the legislation.
With court challenges, the time before the ban could be implemented could stretch even longer than the year needed to switch owners.
And the First Amendment in America is fairly strong, so a ban may not be as straightforward as it seems afterall.
RELATED: TikTok: What to know about the app's possible ban in the U.S.
Can I download TikTok?
Yes, you will still be able to download TikTok, and if you’ve already downloaded it, that’s fine, too.
If the ban does come to fruition, the app likely won’t just disappear from your phone either.
But it would disappear from Apple and Google's app stores, which means users won't be able to download it.
This would also mean that TikTok wouldn't be able to send updates, security patches and bug fixes, and over time the app would likely become unusable — not to mention a security risk.
This story was reported from Detroit. The Associated Press contributed.