TikTok ban bill passes US Senate, what happens next?

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed legislation giving TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, about nine months to divest the U.S. assets of the short-video app, or face a nationwide ban. President Joe Biden said he will to sign the bill into law on Wednesday.

Here is what will likely happen next for TikTok.

  • TikTik clock starts

Once Biden signs the bill, a 270-day clock starts during which ByteDance must sell TikTok. If it looks like ByteDance is close to divestment near the end of the nine-month period, the president can authorize an additional 90 days for any deal to be finalized. If the bill is signed into law this week, as expected, the 270-day period will end around the inauguration of the next president of the United States, on Jan. 20, 2025, leaving the decision on an extra three months either to Biden, a Democrat, who is seeking reelection, or Republican front runner Donald Trump.

  • TikTok sues

Once the bill is signed into law, TikTok is expected to sue to stop it. TikTok's lawyers are also expected to ask the court for a preliminary injunction.

The bill sets the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit as the exclusive forum for any legal challenges.

  • How long will this all take?

(Reuters)


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