The US Senate has approved legislation as part of a $95 billion foreign aid package, mandating the divestment of TikTok from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or face exclusion from the American market. This measure, aimed at addressing concerns over data privacy and national security, passed with a 79-18 vote and is set to be signed by President Joe Biden. Critics have raised alarm about TikTok’s popularity among young users, alleging that it enables Beijing to collect data and engage in espionage. Despite denials from China and TikTok, concerns persist that the app serves as a tool for spreading propaganda. The legislation, which could result in the rare step of banning a company from operating in the US market, garnered bipartisan support in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. President Biden, echoing his concerns about TikTok’s potential security risks, intends to sign the bill into law. ByteDance will have one year to sell TikTok or risk exclusion from major app stores in the US. Meanwhile, former US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has expressed interest in acquiring TikTok and has assembled a group of investors. TikTok has long been under scrutiny by American authorities, who argue that it poses a national security threat by potentially allowing Beijing to access user data. However, a ban could lead to legal challenges. Additionally, the legislation grants the US president the authority to designate other applications as national security threats if they are controlled by adversarial countries. While some, like Elon Musk, have spoken against banning TikTok, citing concerns about freedom of speech and expression, the passage of this legislation reflects ongoing efforts to address security concerns surrounding the app’s ownership and operations.