TikTok Ban on Hold? App Fights for 170 Million US Users

• TikTok and ByteDance filed a lawsuit in a U.S. federal court challenging a bill signed by President Biden that would require divestment or prohibition of TikTok for its 170 million American users, citing violations of the First Amendment and arguing that a sale is not feasible.
• The White House supports ending Chinese control over TikTok for national security reasons but has not commented on the lawsuit. The legislation aims to prevent Chinese access to American data but faces opposition from TikTok, which denies sharing user data.
• Congress passed the legislation with strong bipartisan support due to concerns over Chinese access to American data, despite opposition from TikTok. The bill prohibits internet hosting companies and app stores from supporting TikTok until ByteDance divests it by January 19.

On Tuesday, TikTok and its Chinese parent firm ByteDance filed a lawsuit in a U.S. federal court, attempting to overturn a bill that President Joe Biden had signed that would have required the 170 million Americans who use the short video app to either divest or outright prohibit it.

The firms filed legal action in the United States. the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, contending that the statute transgresses the U.S. a number of reasons, including violating the First Amendment's guarantees of free expression. Biden signed the bill on April 24. ByteDance has until January 19 to sell TikTok or risk being banned.

The complaint stated that the sale "is simply not possible: not commercially, not technologically, not legally. ... There is no question: the Act (law) will force a shutdown of TikTok by January 19, 2025, silencing the 170 million Americans who use the platform to communicate in ways that cannot be replicated elsewhere."

For reasons of national security, the White House has stated that it is in favor of ending Chinese control, but not outright banning TikTok. Regarding the complaint, the Justice Department and the White House remained silent.

Read also:TikTok is Slowly Destroying a New Generation

The lawsuit is TikTok's most recent attempt to fend off attempts to shut it down in the US, as businesses like Snap and Meta try to take advantage of the political unpredictability of TikTok to steal advertising money from its rival.

Just a few weeks after it was announced, the legislation was enacted by Congress with overwhelming support, fueled by concerns expressed by American politicians that China may use the app to access American data or spy on them. In the complaint, TikTok has accused US legislators of pursuing "speculative" concerns and denies ever sharing user data from US citizens.

The leading Democrat on a House committee dealing with China, Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, stated that the measure is "the only way to address the national security threat posed by ByteDance's ownership of apps like TikTok."

The legislation forbids internet hosting companies from sponsoring TikTok and forbids app shops like Apple and Alphabet's Google from selling TikTok until ByteDance divests TikTok by January 19.

Related article:Tech Titans Urge Senate: The Case for a TikTok Ban

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