Senate Approves TikTok Ban Bill with $95 Billion Foreign Aid Package
Updated April 23, 2024 | 6:55 PM PDT
Washington, D.C. (AP)
The United States Senate has voted to pass a bill that would ban the popular Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok unless it divests from its parent company, ByteDance. The bill, which was bundled with a $95 billion foreign aid package to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, passed the Senate on Tuesday with a vote of 89-10.
The bill would require TikTok to either sell its U.S. operations or face a ban in the United States. The bill is the culmination of months of negotiations between the Trump administration and TikTok, which has been under fire for its alleged ties to the Chinese government.
The U.S. government has expressed concerns that TikTok could be used by the Chinese government to collect data on American users or to spread propaganda. TikTok has denied these allegations, but the Trump administration has nonetheless taken steps to ban the app from government devices and to discourage its use by U.S. companies.
The Senate vote is a significant step towards a TikTok ban in the United States. The bill now goes to the House of Representatives, where it is expected to face a tougher battle. If the bill passes the House, it will then go to President Trump for his signature.
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