TikTok U.S. Ban Just Got a Lot More Likely

It’s been more than a month since the United States House of Representatives voted in favor of a bill that would see TikTok banned in America. Little has been heard about the proposed ban since then, but it seems that things are starting to pick up steam. The original bill would have forced TikTok owner ByteDance to sell its stake within 165 days had it been passed by the Senate and signed into law by President Biden. That time limit seemed to be a point of contention within the Senate, where things had stalled. According to reporting from Variety, it seems a compromise has been proposed by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson. 

The Government’s TikTok Compromise

This new proposal would provide ByteDance at least 9 months to divest from TikTok, and there would also be a possibility of a 90-day extension. If the ban goes through, it might take a year before we see the platform banned or sold. One of the biggest holdouts on the ban was Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington. Cantwell is the chair of the Senate’s Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, and had been lobbying for a longer period of time for potential buyers to step up and a sale to go through. 

“I’m very happy that Speaker Johnson and House leaders incorporated my recommendation to extend the ByteDance divestment period from six months to a year,” Cantwell said in a statement shared to her Twitter account. “As I’ve said, extending the divestment period is necessary to ensure there is enough time for a new buyer to get a deal done.”

TikTok Ban: What Has to Happen and Who Could Buy It

The new TikTok ban has been tied to a bill that could be voted on by the House of Representatives as early as Saturday, April 21st. If that legislation gets passed, it will then have to pass through the Senate, and then get signed into law by President Biden. From that point, ByteDance would then have to sell TikTok, or pull out of the United States. Unsurprisingly, TikTok has opposed both of these options. This current bill actually targets several goals for the House and Senate, including funding for allies in Ukraine and Israel. In a statement, TikTok blasted the fact that the new ban is being connected to foreign aid. 

“It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill that would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate 7 million businesses, and shutter a platform that contributes $24 billion to the U.S. economy, annually,” TikTok wrote on Twitter. 

At this time, we have no idea what companies might try to purchase TikTok. Reporting from The Wall Street Journal earlier this year suggested that former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick had shown an interest in gathering partners to purchase TikTok. It’s unclear how that search has progressed, or if it will end up being successful. Kotick departed Activision Blizzard last year following the company’s purchase by Microsoft, but many wanted him out much sooner. Over the last few years, reports had spread about racism, sexism, and a “frat boy culture” at Activision Blizzard, and Kotick’s leadership was blamed for those widespread problems. 

Do you think that this TikTok ban will end up going through? Who do you think will end up with the company? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!