AsianFin-- TikTok users across the United States would soon find the popular Chinese-owned short video sharing platform being controlled by a U.S. owner or banned, although it may take up to a year.

On Tuesday night, the U.S Senate passed the bill that requires the social media platform’s parent company ByteDance to divest itself of the app, under the pretext of national security concerns. The bill, bundled with a large foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies, will be sent to the White House and U.S. President Joe Biden has promised to sign it into law.

Last Saturday, the U.S. House of representatives passed legislation by a 360-58 vote.  

Meanwhile, TikTok has asked its U.S. users to reach their lawmakers to oppose the bill's passage, an effort that appears to have failed to change opinions in Washington, D.C., noted Eurasia Group director Clayton Allen. Both former U.S. President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk have voiced their opposition to the ban, citing speech freedom.

A standalone bill with a six-month selling deadline was passed in the House in March by an overwhelming bipartisan vote as both Democrats and Republicans voiced national security concerns about the application's owner, the Chinese technology firm ByteDance. The measure passed by the Hosue last Saturday and by the Senate on Tuesday would extend the timeframe for TikTok to find a new owner to 270 days, compared to originally six months. Additionally, the bill grants the White House the authority to prolong this deadline by another 90 days if the president deems that progress has been made towards a sale.

Supporters of the bill claim that it is necessary in order to mitigate national security risks the app poses due to China-based ByteDance. TikTok previously insisted it has never shared U.S. data and never would. It has said ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country. In a statement Sunday, TikTok warned last Sunday that a potential ban on the popular short video app would trample free speech in U.S.

"It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill that would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate seven million businesses, and shutter a platform that contributes $24bn to the US economy annually," TikTok said.

China will do whatever it takes to resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, He Yadong, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, said after the U.S. House vote last month. The U.S. side should earnestly respect the market economy and the principle of fair competition, cease unjust suppression of foreign companies and provide an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for enterprises from all countries, He commented at a regular press conference last month.