Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act facts for kids
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| Long title | An Act to protect the national security of the United States from the threat posed by foreign adversary controlled applications, such as TikTok and any successor application or service and any other application or service developed or provided by ByteDance Ltd. or an entity under the control of ByteDance Ltd. |
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| Enacted by | the 118th United States Congress |
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The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (often called PAFACA) is a law passed in the United States in 2024. It was introduced by representatives Mike Gallagher and Raja Krishnamoorthi.
This law makes it against the rules to share, keep, or update certain social media apps in the U.S. These apps are called "foreign adversary controlled applications." An app can only continue if its owner sells it to a company not controlled by a foreign adversary, and the U.S. President agrees.
The law specifically mentions the Chinese company ByteDance and its popular video-sharing app TikTok. It also allows other large social media apps to be targeted if they are seen as a risk to America's safety. This law came after many years of U.S. lawmakers trying to ban TikTok. The House of Representatives passed the first version on March 13, 2024. A new version was passed as part of a larger foreign aid bill by the House on April 20 and by the United States Senate on April 23. U.S. President Joe Biden signed it into law on April 24, 2024, as part of the National Security Act, 2024.
What the Law Does
This law applies to companies that are considered "foreign adversary-controlled applications." This means a website or app that is run, directly or indirectly, by a country seen as an enemy or threat to the U.S.
The law clearly states that ByteDance, Ltd. and its related companies are "foreign adversary-controlled applications." The President of the United States can also decide that other companies are "foreign adversary-controlled applications" if they meet certain conditions.
Who is Affected?
A company or app can be called "foreign adversary-controlled" if it:
- Is controlled by a "foreign adversary country." This means a country that is considered a threat to the U.S.
- Offers a service where users can create, share, and view things like text, pictures, videos, or live chats that other users can see.
- This rule does not include services for posting customer reviews or travel information.
- Has at least one million active users in the United States.
- Is believed to be a "significant threat" to the national security of the United States. This means it could put the country's safety at risk.
What is Prohibited?
The law stops the sharing, keeping, or updating of "foreign adversary-controlled applications." This includes helping these apps work, like providing website hosting. It also means these apps cannot be offered on online stores, like app stores. This effectively means affected apps cannot be used in the U.S. market.
When Do Rules Start?
If an app is named as "foreign adversary-controlled," the rules start 180 days later. During this time, the app must let its users download all their data from the service. The law stops applying if the app is sold in a way that it is no longer controlled by a foreign adversary. The U.S. President decides if the sale makes the app safe.
