Congress passed a bill this week thatforces TikTok to be sold or face a nationwide ban.
Theres been talk about a ban like this for years, but now its actually happening.
Heres how each option would play out.
President Biden and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew.Photo: Ron Sachs/CNP/Bloomberg (Getty Images) / Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post (Getty Images)
If Bytedance wins on this argument, then the law is nullified and things go back to normal.
However, theres no guarantee that Bytedance wins in court.
Thats exactly the argument the United States is making here.
If the US can prove that in court, they might win.
Then Bytedance will be left with two options for the app.
Bytedance Sells TikTok to a U.S. However,BloombergandReutersalso reported on the same day that Bytedance absolutely would not sell TikTok under any circumstances.
So, take what you will from these contradictory reports.
But really, is the app worth anything without the algorithm?
Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchintold CNBChes putting a band together to buy TikTok.
That makes him a pretty strong front-runner.
However, that probably opens them up to monopoly concerns.
TikTok by itself is so dominant, so owning it and another social media platform might be a non-starter.
China has already banned American social media apps for roughly a decade, most recently Threads and WhatsApp.
That would strip America of its competitive advantage around the world.
I think TikTok is in a similar position.
TikTok is the first Chinese app to have a meaningful presence in the United States.
An outright TikTok ban would sow the United States with frustration, which could be exactly what China wants.
News from the future, delivered to your present.
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