TikTok has tried slamming a bill that would force the sale of the social media app, saying that it goes against the First Amendment.
“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,” said TikTok in a statement.
The bill has passed the House, sending it to the Senate and then to President Biden who said he would sign it into legislation. This was put into a broader package to be approved which included aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
Under the bill, ByteDance, which is the parent company that owns TikTok, would have about nine months to sell the app or to remove it from the United States app stores.
Officials in the United States have said that the social media app does pose a threat to citizens in the form of a national security threat since Beijing could use information gained from the app against America.
The ban on TikTok started back when Donald Trump was president; he initiated the ban on the social media app but the move was blocked because they said it violated the First Amendment and due process rights.
This is still an issue that people are looking into as the legislation moves forward for a sale, but as of now it will continue to push forward. The Biden Administration has said that they will extend the nine months to twelve if they feel that some progress on a sale of the app is taking place.
