Even though it seems like TikTok is the epicenter for social trends, the government thinks that it could be used for things besides cute pets. Maybe you are an avid TikToker, or just a Scorsese fan, but things are looking grim for the app.
Last month, the House of Representatives passed a bill that requires ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell the app or face a ban in the U.S. The bill, which is called “Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act,” prevents any app store in the U.S. from hosting ByteDance’s apps, including TikTok, unless the app severs ties to ByteDance within six months.
Now, the app has been granted nine months to move on from ByteDance and possible be sold to another company. If that happens, the app will have an additional three months to complete the sale. So if TikTok ban goes into effect, it would be at least a year until we see any changes.
This doesn’t mean that the app will automatically be deleted from user’s phones, however it would prevent any future updates or bug fixes, which would eventually render the app useless, much like the Old Reddit app (RIP).
The TikTok ban has many divided. The U.S. government does not want the Chinese company to own the app used by nearly 150 million U.S. residents. Meanwhile, Gen Z Democratic Rep Maxwell Frost believes that the attempt to ban the app violates the First Amendment. “I think that it is a violation of people’s First Amendment rights,” he said. “TikTok is a place for people to express ideas. I have many small businesses in my district and content creators in my district, and I think it’s going to drastically impact them too.”
(Via AP)