The US Senate has passed a controversial landmark bill that could ban the use of the TikTok app in America, according to the BBC.
According to the bill, TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, has nine months to sell its shares or the app will be blocked in the US.
The bill will now be submitted to US President Joe Biden, who has said he will sign it as soon as it is delivered to him.
TikTok said it did not have an immediate response to the move.
Earlier, Bytedance said it would oppose any attempt to force it to sell TikTok.
If the US were to succeed in forcing ByteDance to sell TikTok, any deal would still need approval from Chinese officials, but Beijing has vowed to oppose any such move. Analysts said the process could take years.
The measure was passed as part of a package of four bills that also included military aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and other US partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
It had broad support from lawmakers, with 79 senators voting in favor and 18 against.
“For years we have allowed the Chinese Communist Party to control one of the most popular apps in America, which was extremely short-sighted,” said Sen. Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Secret Service Committee.
“The new law will require its Chinese owner to sell the app. This is a good move for America,” he added.
Fears that the data of millions of Americans could fall into China’s hands have fueled efforts by Congress to separate TikTok from the Beijing-based company.
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