The US Congress sent a bill to the president that requires TikTok’s parent company to sell the platform or face a ban.
The US Senate passed legislation on Tuesday that would force TikTok’s parent company to sell the platform or face a ban.
Congress has now sent the legislation to be signed by President Joe Biden, who said he would approve the move.
The TikTok legislation was part of a larger package that included aid for Ukraine and Israel.
The bill gives TikTok owner ByteDance nine months to sell the platform, with a possible three-month extension. But legal challenges could mean it could take longer.
The platform is used by 170 million Americans and the bill reflects long-held fears over Chinese threats.
Why did the US pass the legislation?
Lawmakers and administration officials have expressed concerns that Chinese authorities could force ByteDance to hand over US user data or influence Americans by suppressing or promoting certain content on TikTok.
“Congress is not acting to punish ByteDance, TikTok or any other individual company,” said Senate Commerce Committee Chairwoman Maria Cantwell.
“Congress is acting to prevent foreign adversaries from conducting espionage, surveillance, maligned operations, harming vulnerable Americans, our servicemen and women, and our US government personnel”.
Several opponents of the TikTok measure say the best way to protect consumers is by implementing a comprehensive data privacy law that targets all companies regardless of their origin.
They have said the US has not provided evidence that proves TikTok shared user information with Chinese authorities.
“Banning TikTok would be an extraordinary step that requires extraordinary justification,” said Becca Branum, a deputy director at the Washington-based Center for Democracy & Technology, which advocates for digital rights.
“Extending the divestiture deadline neither justifies the urgency of the threat to the public nor addresses the legislation’s fundamental constitutional flaws”.