When will TikTok be banned in the US?


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The US took another step towards banning TikTok on Tuesday night as the Senate passed a bill that could force ByteDance to sell the social media platform.

President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed the bill containing the potential ban, which was part of a $95 billion foreign aid package.

Supporters of a ban have expressed concerns that data from TikTok – which has about 170 million users in the US – could be shared with the Chinese government.

An outright ban in the US, which has more TikTok users than any other nation, would come as a major blow to the company.

TikTok says the bill violates free-speech rights for Americans, while China has accused the US of “unreasonably suppressing” the platform.

Even before the Senate took action, western countries including the UK, France and Belgium banned the app from government phones.

What happens next to TikTok?

TikTok is not yet banned in the US. Instead, the latest actions establish a new timetable for the short-video platform.

ByteDance has have nine months to sell TikTok. If a sale is in progress, it would be given a three-month extension.

The timeline would extend through the 2024 presidential election. This could extend even longer if lawsuits are filed, as experts and TikTok both say the ban is a breach of the First Amendment.

Shortly after Mr Biden signed the bill, TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew pledged the company would take the issue to court.

“Rest assured, we aren’t going anywhere," Mr Chew said on TikTok.

Should the timetable progress without any legal challenges, which is unlikely, then the company would be forced to sell within nine months or face a nationwide ban in the US.

If TikTok is sold, who could buy it?

Selling TikTok would be no easy feat.

TikTok's US business could be valued at $40 billion to $50 billion, Bloomberg Intelligence estimated last year.

Such a large cost would price many potential buyers out of the market.

Steve Mnuchin, who was Treasury secretary under former president Donald Trump, said he is putting together a group of investors to buy TikTok.

Mr Trump tried to ban TikTok in 2020 but the move was blocked by US courts.

Former Activision chief executive Bobby Kotick has also considered buying TikTok, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Canadian businessman and Shark Tank star Kevin O'Leary is also assembling a group to potentially buy the app.

Any unlikely bid by other tech companies such as Meta or Google would probably be blocked by anti-trust regulators in the US.

There is also the possibility that no one will or even could buy TikTok, which would bring about a US ban.

What countries have taken action against TikTok?

Numerous countries have raised concerns over TikTok's ties to Beijing and its global hold over user data.

India and Pakistan have already banned TikTok.

It also faces increasing scrutiny in the EU over its TikTok Like Rewards programme in France and Spain, which pays users to spend time on the app.

The European Commission has already opened proceedings against TikTok to consider if it has broken EU law.

Canada and Australia banned TikTok on government-owned devices last year, while the Taliban banned the app in Afghanistan in 2022.

Classification of skills

A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation. 

A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.

The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000. 

UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Rating: 2/5
 
The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

THE NEW BATCH'S FOCUS SECTORS

AiFlux – renewables, oil and gas

DevisionX – manufacturing

Event Gates – security and manufacturing

Farmdar – agriculture

Farmin – smart cities

Greener Crop – agriculture

Ipera.ai – space digitisation

Lune Technologies – fibre-optics

Monak – delivery

NutzenTech – environment

Nybl – machine learning

Occicor – shelf management

Olymon Solutions – smart automation

Pivony – user-generated data

PowerDev – energy big data

Sav – finance

Searover – renewables

Swftbox – delivery

Trade Capital Partners – FinTech

Valorafutbol – sports and entertainment

Workfam – employee engagement

Sam Smith

Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi

When: Saturday November 24

Rating: 4/5

VEZEETA PROFILE

Date started: 2012

Founder: Amir Barsoum

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: HealthTech / MedTech

Size: 300 employees

Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)

Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC

Key products and UAE prices

iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229

iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649

iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179

Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.

Pots for the Asian Qualifiers

Pot 1: Iran, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China
Pot 2: Iraq, Uzbekistan, Syria, Oman, Lebanon, Kyrgyz Republic, Vietnam, Jordan
Pot 3: Palestine, India, Bahrain, Thailand, Tajikistan, North Korea, Chinese Taipei, Philippines
Pot 4: Turkmenistan, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Yemen, Afghanistan, Maldives, Kuwait, Malaysia
Pot 5: Indonesia, Singapore, Nepal, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Guam, Macau/Sri Lanka

RESULTS
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Financial considerations before buying a property

Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.

“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says. 

Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.

Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier. 

Updated: April 25, 2024, 4:14 AM