The Biden campaign will remain on TikTok even after President Biden signed a law that compels the China-based parent company to sell the app or face a ban in the US, according to Fox News.
Biden campaign representatives confirmed to Fox News that the Biden-Harris campaign will continue to use TikTok.
President Biden signed the Senate-passed bill, which mandates ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, to sell the app or face a US ban due to concerns about national security, data collection, and propaganda risks.
The legislation was part of a broader $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
House Republicans’ decision to attach the TikTok bill to the foreign aid package expedited its passage, following a previously stalled version of the bill in the Senate. The Senate version gave ByteDance six months to divest its stake in the platform, which some lawmakers found too brief for a potentially complex deal worth tens of billions.
The new measure gives ByteDance nine months to sell TikTok, with an optional three-month extension if a sale is underway. The bill also prohibits the company from controlling the algorithm that recommends videos to users.
Lawmakers’ bipartisan concerns over Chinese threats, including the ownership of TikTok, prompted the legislation. There are fears that Chinese officials could force ByteDance to share US user data and manipulate content.
China has opposed the forced sale of TikTok and has signaled its resistance to the legislation. TikTok denies being a security threat and is preparing a lawsuit to block the legislation.
TikTok’s head of public policy for the Americas, Michael Beckerman, noted in a memo to employees that the company will move to the courts for a legal challenge once the bill is signed.
TikTok criticized the law as “unconstitutional” and stated that it would challenge the ban in court, believing it will prevail.
The company has invested heavily to safeguard US data and maintain the platform’s freedom from external influence. It also asserts that the ban would harm seven million businesses and silence 170 million Americans.
TikTok plans to continue challenging the ban while investing and innovating to ensure the platform remains a safe space for Americans to share experiences and find inspiration.
