Did the TikTok Ban Bill Pass the Senate?

There are numerous people who are eager to know about the TikTok Ban Bil, and if the senate has passed the bill into law.

This piece aims to elucidate this and shine a light on why this bill ever existed. 

What is the TikTok ban bill?

Incontrovertibly, TikTok is a video-sharing social application. In the United States alone, TikTok has over 170 million active users who derive one thing or the other from the app. Many get but are not limited to entertainment, business promotion ideas, news, more importantly, income. Yes! TikTok pays its creators who are eligible and meet their creator’s eligibility criteria. 

The TikTok Ban bill is the proposal by the House to permanently stop TikTok operations in the United States. This bill according to House reasons is mainly for national security.

Democrats and Republicans alike have frowned at the Chinese app owners; again basing their reasons on National security.

They explained that their worst fear would be a reality if TikTok shared United States User information with the Chinese government.

Did the TikTok ban bill pass the Senate?

Yes, the TikTok ban bill has passed the House. According to the house; the company, TikTok, has one year to sell their stake to avoid a complete ban in the U.S

Again, the House gave reasons for national security. 

On Saturday, the 20th of April, 2024, The United States Senate passed legislation that TikTok has to sell its stake within a year, or they face being banned in the United States.

Why was this “ban” measure put in place?

According to the House, national security is the predominant reason.

However, this bill has received pushback from the populace and the CEO of TikTok Shou Zi Chew. In his words; “We will not stop fighting and advocating for you”.

The public has argued that this bill kicks against their right to speech. Many scholars and the public in general explicated that this bill goes against the First Amendment. 

Although the government has elucidated that TikTok could be selling Users’ data to the Chinese government invariably harming the United States, users who have one way or the other benefited from this platform say they could lose money and their right to expression and freedom of speech.

TikTok has denied all allegations and claims that they “are or could be selling Americans’ data to the Chinese government to get at the United States Government”. They further elucidated that they have not shared U.S. data with China.

Although there is no evidence to this United States allegations, they have regardless, taken the measure of TikTok selling their stake to preferably a U.S company like Oracle. 

TikTok has been banned on government devices including public universities. This has led to a nationwide on-site and online protest of the ban on TikTok. Academics expressed that this law will restrict their access to information and impair academic freedom. Many have rallied to the side of TikTok asking the House to review this law.

Public Push Back of this Bill

Many have taken the side of TikTok explaining that this bill restricts in every sense of it human rights to freedom of speech. 

Many economists also explained that TikTok adds annually 24 billion to the United States economy. 

Researchers and academics have explained that the rule or restriction will put a dent in information gathering did the TikTok ban pass the senate

TikTok has spent an average of $5 million to fight against this ban.

Final Thoughts

There you have it folks, the House has given the reason why they have passed the bill. Meanwhile, this development has met resistance from people of all works of life. How this would play out depends on if TikTok sells its stake.