The bill is called the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. Its proponents say that it’s not a ban, it just requires divestiture by ByteDance and the sale of TikTok within six months to a company that isn’t subject to the control of the Chinese Communist Party, Russia, Iran, or North Korea. But if the Senate passes the bill and it becomes law, TikTok and its parent company ByteDance will be in a very uncomfortable situation. Beijing may not allow ByteDance to sell China’s most successful international Internet service, and six months may not be enough time for a sale.
Although President Joe Biden has said he plans to sign the bill, it could very well get bogged down at the Senate, and Donald Trump this week said he would not support a TikTok ban (shortly after meeting with one of the major American investors in ByteDance).
