By Darius Green / Staff Writer

In March, House lawmakers approved a bill that would give TikTok roughly six months to find a buyer. Failure to do so would result in significant consequences: the app would be banned from U.S. app stores and from “internet hosting services” that support it.

According to reporting by CNN, the bill was approved by Congress as part of a larger foreign aid package aimed at assisting Israel and Ukraine. The bill was approved first by the Senate and then by House of Representatives before being signed into law by President Joe Biden.

Since U.S. officials first expressed concerns about TikTok in 2020, this legislation poses the greatest threat yet to the service. Under current U.S. law, TikTok is required to secure a new owner within months or face being completely cut off from the country.

Missouri Valley College basketball player Jayson Daniels expressed his concern over losing access to the app.

“I hope it doesn’t happen,” he said. “I’m always on TikTok. I hope we can end up with ownership because that’s a main source of entertainment for us.”

In the event that TikTok is banned in the U.S., MVC students have indicated they would turn to Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts.

MVC football player Jayden Harden believes the ban could have a silver lining.

“I feel like the ban of TikTok will allow us to get off the internet for a while and find other ways to entertain ourselves,” he said.

This potential TikTok ban could significantly impact users, especially those who earn money from the platform or rely on it for entertainment, forcing them to find alternative sources.