In a rare display of bipartisan cooperation, President Biden signed legislation in April requiring Chinese-owned TikTok to sell its U.S. operations or face a nationwide ban, affecting over 150 million American users.

The law, nicknamed “Thunder Run” by Capitol Hill staffers for its swift seven-week passage from introduction to presidential signature, mandates ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to divest its U.S. operations to a non-Chinese owner.

The bipartisan measure passed the House with overwhelming support, 352-65, before clearing the Senate as part of a broader legislative package that included foreign aid for Ukraine.

“I think that’s a serious case of the government trying to control what media we consume as citizens,” said Colin Zimmerman ’25. “I don’t think there’s anything that should be concerning to the United States government to the point where it’s banned in the U.S.”

The legislation emerged from a secretive, year-long effort by a bipartisan congressional group, who worked closely with Justice Department and White House officials to craft a legally robust bill. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco provided guidance to ensure the legislation could withstand expected legal challenges, particularly concerning First Amendment rights.

The push for regulation gained momentum following TikTok CEO Shou Chew’s March 2023 congressional testimony about the app’s Chinese connections. Further concerns arose when lawmakers accused the platform of promoting pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel content, including videos supporting a controversial Osama bin Laden letter criticizing U.S. policies.

To bulletproof the legislation, the Justice Department collaborated with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and FBI to brief congressional committees about security concerns related to TikTok’s Chinese ownership.

This article was written using AI. The reporter takes responsibility for the piece by gathering, editing and verifying all included content.