On December 11, the U.S. Department of Justice asked the appeals court to reject the bid of TikTok to temporarily block a law that would force its Chinese owner to divest the app. Three judge panel ordered ByteDance to divest TikTok by January 19 otherwise it would have to face a ban in the U.S. The panel ruled that TikTok needs to be owned by any U.S. company before the last date allotted by the judge panel in December.
TikTok and its parent company ByteDance filed an emergency motion at the U.S. Court of Appeals, asking for a review by the U.S. Supreme Court. The short video app made the argument that without court intervention, the law would shut down TikTok which has over 170 million users and has become one of the most popular platforms for free speech in the country.
TikTok’s Fight to Avoid Rejection: Court Battle Heats Up
After TikTok’s bid to delay the ban, the Justice Department asked the court to not delay the law’s effective date by arguing that TikTok has 170 million US users and their data which poses a threat to the national security seeking its Chinese ownership.
On December 11, the Department of Justice said that if the ban started from January 19, it would not prohibit users from using the app if they already have it installed on their devices. However, the ban would prohibit the support to run an app which will make it impossible for users to access it.
TikTok’s Court Battle: What’s at Stake in the Ruling?
The U.S. Federal Appeals Court has ruled that TikTok, a social media app with over 170 million US users, will be banned if it is not sold to a US-based company by January 2025. The ruling for a potential ban was made considering the growing popularity of TikTok among the youth. As US Congress fears that China is stealing US consumer information through its short video commercial platform.
The law has been passed for Bytedance Pvt Ltd, owner of TikTok to divest the app to any of the US-based companies or to face a ban if it is not sold by January 19.
TikTok’s Fight Against U.S. Ban Looms
TikTok’s ongoing legal battle highlights the tensions between national security concerns and the app’s massive popularity in the US With the Department of Justice pushing for a swift divestment of TikTok from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, the pressure is mounting for a sale to a US-based company by January 2025.
If this deadline is not met, TikTok could face a ban, leaving millions of U.S. users without access to one of the most influential social media platforms. The outcome of this court battle will have significant implications not only for TikTok but also for the broader tech and international trade landscape.
