US Moves Closer to Prohibiting TikTok
A US federal appeals court has confirmed a law that requires Chinese-based ByteDance to divest TikTok or risk a ban. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
A federal appeals court has upheld a law requiring Chinese-based ByteDance to sell the social media app TikTok.
A US federal appeals court has confirmed a law mandating that ByteDance divest its widely used short video platform TikTok in the United States by early next year or face a ban. The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit issued a ruling on Friday stating that TikTok will be prohibited starting January 19, 2025, if its parent company fails to secure a non-Chinese buyer for the app. Following the deadline, app stores and internet services in the US could incur fines for hosting TikTok if it remains unsold.
The law, which compels TikTok to locate a new owner within a few months or face a ban, was enacted in April due to concerns raised by national security officials in Washington about the potential influence of the Chinese government via the popular platform.
In response to the law, the Chinese Foreign Ministry characterized a potential ban as “an act of bullying” that would ultimately backfire on the US. The ministry’s spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, claimed that Washington's pursuit of TikTok continued despite a lack of evidence demonstrating how the platform poses a threat to national security.
The recent court ruling addressed TikTok’s assertion that the law is unconstitutional, arguing that it infringes on the free speech rights of over 170 million Americans who use the app and unfairly targets the platform specifically.
In a statement responding to the ruling, TikTok expressed that the ban “was conceived and pushed through based upon inaccurate, flawed and hypothetical information, resulting in outright censorship of the American people.” The company has stated its intention to appeal to the US Supreme Court to overturn the appeals court’s decision. According to a report from the Financial Times on Saturday, CEO Shou Zi Chew mentioned in an internal memo to staff that the next step would be to “seek an injunction of the ban, pending review.”
“While today’s news is disappointing, rest assured we will continue the fight to protect free speech on our platform,” the CEO reportedly stated.
When the law was enacted, ByteDance indicated it had no plans to sell TikTok.
Jessica Kline contributed to this report for TROIB News
A US federal appeals court has confirmed a law mandating that ByteDance divest its widely used short video platform TikTok in the United States by early next year or face a ban. The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit issued a ruling on Friday stating that TikTok will be prohibited starting January 19, 2025, if its parent company fails to secure a non-Chinese buyer for the app. Following the deadline, app stores and internet services in the US could incur fines for hosting TikTok if it remains unsold.
The law, which compels TikTok to locate a new owner within a few months or face a ban, was enacted in April due to concerns raised by national security officials in Washington about the potential influence of the Chinese government via the popular platform.
In response to the law, the Chinese Foreign Ministry characterized a potential ban as “an act of bullying” that would ultimately backfire on the US. The ministry’s spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, claimed that Washington's pursuit of TikTok continued despite a lack of evidence demonstrating how the platform poses a threat to national security.
The recent court ruling addressed TikTok’s assertion that the law is unconstitutional, arguing that it infringes on the free speech rights of over 170 million Americans who use the app and unfairly targets the platform specifically.
In a statement responding to the ruling, TikTok expressed that the ban “was conceived and pushed through based upon inaccurate, flawed and hypothetical information, resulting in outright censorship of the American people.” The company has stated its intention to appeal to the US Supreme Court to overturn the appeals court’s decision. According to a report from the Financial Times on Saturday, CEO Shou Zi Chew mentioned in an internal memo to staff that the next step would be to “seek an injunction of the ban, pending review.”
“While today’s news is disappointing, rest assured we will continue the fight to protect free speech on our platform,” the CEO reportedly stated.
When the law was enacted, ByteDance indicated it had no plans to sell TikTok.
Jessica Kline contributed to this report for TROIB News
