S. 153 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Jan 20, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryRepeals prohibition on foreign adversary apps
Right now, federal law bans the distribution and maintenance of apps controlled by foreign adversaries like TikTok. This bill would repeal that prohibition and nullify any existing designations of apps as foreign adversary controlled applications. In other words, it would undo the current restrictions and allow these apps to operate again.
How it affects you
If you use TikTok or similar apps from countries like China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea, this would remove the legal barriers preventing those apps from being available in the United States. For most other people, the direct impact depends on whether you currently use or plan to use these apps.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Jan 20, 2025)
Repeal the TikTok Ban Act
This bill repeals the prohibition on distributing, maintaining, updating, or providing internet hosting services for a foreign adversary controlled application (e.g., TikTok) and nullifies any existing designation of a website or application as a foreign adversary controlled application.
Under current law, a foreign adversary controlled application is a website or application directly or indirectly operated by (1) ByteDance, Ltd., TikTok, their subsidiaries, successors, or related entities they control; or (2) a social media company that is controlled by a foreign adversary country and determined by the President to present a significant threat to national security. (Here, the term social media company excludes any website or application primarily used to post product reviews, business reviews, or travel information and reviews. The term foreign adversary country means North Korea, China, Russia, and Iran.)
Current law generally prohibits the distribution, maintenance, implementation of updates, or provision of hosting services for a foreign adversary controlled application, unless an approved divestiture transaction results in the application no longer being controlled by a foreign adversary country, among other requirements.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS. 153
A BILL
Repeal the TikTok Ban Act
Sponsor: Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) · Introduced Jan 20, 2025 · Science, Technology, Communications · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Jan 20, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.”