After a bill that would force TikTok’s Chinese parent company to sell the app or face a nationwide ban sailed through the House this week, its progress in the Senate has slowed. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, has not yet decided whether to bring the bill to the floor for a vote. Senators who have their versions of bills targeting TikTok will need to be convinced, and other legislation could take priority. Transferring the House bill to suit the Senate could be time-consuming. Many in the Senate are not revealing their plans regarding the TikTok measure, despite the powerful signal sent by the House vote, which passed 352 to 65. The legislation mandates that ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, sell its stake in the app within six months or face a ban.Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, mentioned bipartisan support to remove the app from Chinese ownership, even though adjustments might be made to the bill. This Senate slowdown indicates that TikTok may face uncertainty for weeks or even months about its future in the United States. Lobbying efforts will continue alongside White House, Chinese government, and ByteDance maneuvers. Potential deals may be discussed while the threat of losing access to the app looms over TikTok creators and its 170 million U.S. users.
