In a bipartisan effort, the United States Congress has passed a bill that requires TikTok to sever ties with its Chinese-based parent company, ByteDance, within nine months or face a ban in the country. The bill, which was part of a $95 billion foreign-aid package, also grants the President the discretion to extend this timeframe to a year. Although TikTok opponents consider this a victory, the extended timeline ensures that Democrats can continue using the platform in its current form for the upcoming November elections.

Over the years, Democrats have heavily relied on TikTok for outreach to mobilize younger voters. Influencers on the platform, including an army of TikTok and other social media influencers, regularly engage with Team Biden to spread campaign messages. In fact, the Biden campaign's TikTok account, Biden-Harris HQ, boasts more than 300,000 followers.

Initially, an earlier version of the TikTok bill passed the House but stalled in the Senate. This version only allowed for a six-month period for TikTok to divest, which would have forced a resolution prior to the November elections. Critics argue that Democrats sought to capitalize on the change by extending the timeline.

"They will utilize it as a political tool. It is very helpful to [Democrats]," stated Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ). He added, "There are millions of young people who go on it and are very faithful to it. They wanted to get that extra bite at the apple. There is no reason they couldn't divest within six months."

Another Republican congressman proposed a theory that some may consider a conspiracy, suggesting that Joe Biden wants his Chinese friends who have influence over ByteDance to have an opportunity in November to assist him. However, it should be noted that no evidence has been provided to support this claim.

Insiders within the House suggest that the issue mainly lay in the Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) faced challenges from Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wa.), the powerful chair of the Senate Commerce Committee with jurisdiction over TikTok. Sen. Cantwell played a significant role in extending the divestment period from six months to a year, publicly affirming her support for the updated legislation.

"I'm very happy that Speaker Johnson and House leaders incorporated my recommendation to extend the ByteDance divestment period from six months to a year. As I've said, extending the divestment period is necessary to ensure there is enough time for a new buyer to get a deal done. I support this updated legislation," stated Sen. Cantwell.

With the passage of this bill, TikTok now has a longer window to separate from its Chinese parent company. This extension provides Democrats with an opportunity to continue utilizing the platform in its current form for the November elections, targeting younger voters who have shown great support and engagement with TikTok content. The impact of this decision on the 2024 presidential election remains to be seen.