US lawmakers say TikTok won’t be banned if it finds a new owner. But that’s easier said than done

U.S. lawmakers are threatening to ban TikTok but also say they are giving its Chinese parent company a chance to keep it running.

The premise of a bipartisan bill headed for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives is that TikTok fans in the U.S. can keep scrolling through their favorite social media app so long as Beijing-based ByteDance gives up on owning it.

“It doesn’t have to be this painful for ByteDance,” U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat and bill co-sponsor, recently posted on X. “They could make it a lot easier on themselves by simply divesting @tiktok_us. It’s their choice.”

But it’s not going to be as simple as lawmakers are making it sound, according to experts.

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«READ MORE» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> READ MORE </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> House Republicans move ahead with TikTok vote even as Trump voices opposition to possible ban </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> A bill that could lead to a nation-wide TikTok ban is gaining momentum. Here’s what to know </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Most teens report feeling happy or peaceful when they go without smartphones, Pew survey finds </bsp-custom-headline> </bsp-list-loadmore>

WHO WOULD BUY TIKTOK?

While some people have voiced an interest in buying TikTok’s U.S. business — among them “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary — there are a number of challenges including a 6-month deadline to get it done.

“Somebody would have to actually be ready to shell out the large amount of money that this product