What's happened
US President Joe Biden has signed a bill requiring TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell its US operations within a year or face a nationwide ban. TikTok vows to challenge the law in court, citing free speech rights. The bill aims to address national security concerns over Chinese ties to the app and potential data risks.
Why it matters
The US legislation threatening TikTok's future is significant as it marks a new phase in data security measures and could reshape trade relations. The move could impact the lives of TikTok users and the tech industry, with potential legal battles and geopolitical implications.
What the papers say
According to The Independent, TikTok has vowed to challenge the law in court, asserting that they are not going anywhere. Sky News reports that President Biden signed the law, prompting TikTok's CEO to reassure users that they will fight the ban. The New York Times highlights the bill's passage by the Senate and the potential complications ahead.
How we got here
TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, has faced scrutiny over data security concerns, leading to the US legislation. Lawmakers fear Chinese government access to user data, prompting the bill to force ByteDance to sell TikTok's US operations.
Common question
More on these topics
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TikTok/Douyin is a Chinese video-sharing social networking service owned by ByteDance, a Beijing-based Internet technology company founded in 2012 by Zhang Yiming.
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The United States of America, commonly known as the United States or America, is a country mostly located in central North America, between Canada and Mexico.
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ByteDance Ltd. is a Chinese multinational internet technology company headquartered in Beijing. It was founded by Zhang Yiming in 2012. ByteDance is reportedly worth over US$100 billion as of May 2020.
ByteDance's core product, Toutiao, is a content platf
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China, officially the People's Republic of China, is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.4 billion in 2019.
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Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is an American politician who is the 46th and current president of the United States. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice president from 2009 to 2017 and represented Delaware in the United States Senate
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The United States House of Representatives is the lower house of the United States Congress; the Senate is the upper house. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.