In the Congress of the United States
119th Congress — 1st Session
Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (TikTok Ban)
Questionable
Congressional Research Service Summary
The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act prohibited the distribution, maintenance, or updating of applications controlled by foreign adversaries — specifically targeting TikTok and its parent company ByteDance. The law gave ByteDance approximately 270 days to divest its ownership of TikTok or face a ban in the United States.
Bill Details
The bill moved through Congress with remarkable speed. It passed the House 352-65, was included in a larger foreign aid package, and was signed into law by President Biden in April 2024. The law framed TikTok as a national security threat due to ByteDance’s ties to the Chinese government and the potential for user data to be accessed by Chinese authorities.
The legislation affected approximately 170 million American TikTok users. Critics argued it was an unprecedented restriction on free expression, while supporters maintained that no other country allows a foreign adversary to operate a dominant social media platform within its borders. The divestiture deadline, subsequent legal challenges, and enforcement questions made this one of the most consequential tech policy battles in recent memory.
Source: This is a real bill introduced in the 118th Congress and signed into law. View on Congress.gov.
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