Experts have told the BBC the bill is “a big deal” but have warned it faces multiple hurdles.
It could take several years before the app is blocked as legal action, likely all the way to the Supreme Court, would delay the process.
In November, a U.S. federal judge in Montana blocked an effort to ban TikTok within the state.
The popularity of the app with young Americans could also be problematic.
“About two in three young people in the US have a TikTok account,” said Andrew Przybylski, professor of human behaviour and technology at Oxford University.
“The primary challenge is going to be on freedom of speech and freedom of expression.
“The UN Charter on the Rights of the Child is quite specific: young people have a right to information and a right to play, so I think it can be challenged on those grounds.”
Jennifer Huddleston from the Cato institute, in Washington, said any sale might be delayed because of the “considerable” regulatory scrutiny it would attract.
“Nine months is a rather quick timeframe for this size of a transaction – it’s something that is likely to have further regulatory scrutiny even without the requirements in this proposal,” she said.
“The question remains – what does it mean to even sell TikTok in the US, is that truly possible, and what would a buyer look like?”
Exactly who would be able to buy and operate it is also a big question – the price would likely be in the tens of billions of dollars, meaning there would be few potential buyers.
source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c87zp82247yo
