TikTok Plans Legal Challenge Against US Law Threatening Ban or Sale
TikTok has announced its intention to challenge in court a recently passed “unconstitutional” law in the United States that could potentially result in the social media platform being sold or banned in the country.
President Biden has signed into law a bill that gives TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, nine months to divest the app or face being blocked in the US. The law was introduced due to concerns that TikTok might share user data with the Chinese government, claims which TikTok has consistently denied.
TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, stated, “We are confident and we will keep fighting for your rights in the courts. The facts, and the Constitution, are on our side… rest assured, we aren’t going anywhere.” He also urged users to share their stories of how TikTok had positively impacted their lives.
In a separate statement, TikTok asserted that it believed “the facts and the law” were “clearly” on its side, emphasizing its investment in keeping US data safe and its platform free from outside influence and manipulation.
The bill, which was part of a package including military aid for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and other US partners, received widespread support from lawmakers. However, experts caution that legal challenges could significantly delay the process, potentially taking years.
Furthermore, questions remain about the feasibility of selling TikTok in the US, given the regulatory scrutiny and limited pool of potential buyers. TikTok users in the US have been preparing for a potential ban for some time, as uncertainty looms over the future of the app in the country.
The EU has also taken action against TikTok, with European Commissioner Thierry Breton criticizing the app’s rewards program as “toxic and addictive,” particularly for children. TikTok has agreed to suspend the program in France and Spain.
