President Joe Biden has signed a foreign aid package that includes a bill that would ban TikTok if China-based parent company ByteDance fails to divest the app within a year. The divest-or-ban bill is now law, starting the clock for ByteDance to make its move. The company has an initial nine months to sort out a deal, though the president could extend that another three months if he sees progress. The legislation seemed like it would stall out in the Senate after being passed as a standalone bill in the House, but political maneuvering helped usher it through to Biden’s desk. The House packaged the TikTok bill with foreign aid to US allies, which effectively forced the Senate to consider the measures together. The longer divestment period also seemed to get some lawmakers who were on the fence on board.
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