The Know Daily - Thursday 25 April 2024

_{Read in 5m 24s ∙ Listening to Amy Winehouse ∙}

An “astonishing array” of wildlife has been discovered in Cambodia’s mangrove forests, following a comprehensive biodiversity survey. Despite 700 different species being identified - including hairy-nosed otters and cats that catch fish - researchers said they had probably “not even scratched the surface”. 

🤳 Tick, tock

US president Joe Biden has signed into law a bill to force a sale of TikTok or else ban it outright. Here’s what you need to know. 

What does the bill involve?
It gives TikTok’s parent company - the Chinese tech firm ByteDance - 270 days to sell off its US operations, with a possible three-month extension if there are signs a deal is progressing. If this doesn’t happen, the video platform will be banned from US app stores.

The legislation also gives the White House new tools to ban or force the sale of other foreign-owned apps it deems to be security threats, noted Reuters.

Why has this happened?
Critics have long argued that TikTok could be forced to share its data on US users with the Chinese government, or “spread misinformation beneficial to Beijing”, Associated Press previously explained. TikTok denies that it has or would ever do so.

Nevertheless, US Congress this week voted overwhelmingly to pass the bill, with Biden signing it into law on Wednesday - less than three months after he joined TikTok with a video captioned “lol hey guys”.

What would a ban mean for users?
If TikTok is ultimately banned, it won’t suddenly disappear from users’ phones. Rather, it would no longer be on US app stores, making it harder - although not impossible - for users to download TikTok and receive updates.

Creators have warned that a TikTok ban could impact their livelihoods, reported The Independent, with an estimated seven million US businesses selling products on the platform.

Will TikTok fight back?
You bet. A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the company plans to challenge the law in the courts - and this could see any potential ban pushed further down the road.

It’s unclear whether China would let ByteDance sell TikTok and particularly its “coveted algorithm”, said The Verge. And as The New York Times pointed out, it’s unclear who would have the resources to afford TikTok’s “hefty price tag”.