TikTok‘s Chief Executive Stated On Wednesday That The Company Expects To Prevail In A Legal Challenge Against Legislation Signed Into Law By President Joe Biden, Which He Asserted Would Prohibit The Popular Short Video App Used By 170 Million Americans.
“Rest Assured – We Aren’t Going Anywhere,” CEO Shou Zi Chew Declared In A Video Posted Shortly After Biden Signed The Bill. This Legislation Gives China-Based ByteDance 270 Days To Divest TikTok’s U.S. Assets Or Face A Ban. “The Facts And The Constitution Are On Our Side, And We Expect To Prevail Again,” Chew Asserted.
Biden’s Signing Sets A Deadline Of January 19 For A Sale, Just One Day Before His Term Ends. However, He Could Extend This Deadline By Three Months If He Determines ByteDance Is Making Progress. Biden Is Seeking A Second Term Against Former President Donald Trump.
In 2020, Courts Blocked Trump’s Attempt To Ban TikTok And Chinese-Owned WeChat In The United States.
Chew Emphasized That The Current Legislation Is Essentially A Ban On TikTok. He Ensured That TikTok Would Persist In Operation As The Company Contests The Restrictions.
Driven By Concerns Among U.S. Lawmakers Regarding Chinese Access To Americans’ Data Or Surveillance Through The App, The Bill Was Overwhelmingly Passed By The U.S. Senate Late On Tuesday And Approved By The U.S. House Of Representatives On Saturday.
The Ongoing Battle Over TikTok Represents A Significant Front In The Technology War Between Washington And Beijing. Apple Recently Announced China’s Directive To Remove Meta Platforms’ WhatsApp And Threads From Its App Store In China Over National Security Concerns.
TikTok Plans To Challenge The Bill On First Amendment Grounds, And Users Are Expected To Pursue Legal Action. A U.S. Judge In Montana Previously Blocked A State Ban On TikTok, Citing Free Speech.
The American Civil Liberties Union Warned That Banning Or Mandating Divestiture Of TikTok Would Establish A Troubling Global Precedent For Government Control Over Social Media Platforms.
Experts Believe The New Legislation Will Provide The Biden Administration With A Stronger Legal Basis To Ban TikTok If ByteDance Fails To Divest The App.
If ByteDance Fails To Divest TikTok, App Stores Operated By Apple, Google, And Others Could Not Legally Offer TikTok Or Provide Web Hosting Services To ByteDance-Controlled Applications Or TikTok’s Website.
The Bill Also Equips The White House With New Tools To Ban Or Mandate The Sale Of Other Foreign-Owned Apps Deemed Security Threats.
Democratic Senator Ron Wyden Expressed Concerns About The Bill’s Broad Authority, Warning Of Potential Abuse That Could Infringe Upon Americans’ First Amendment Rights.
Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump Accused President Joe Biden Of Advocating For A TikTok Ban And Shifted Responsibility For Imposing A Ban Onto Biden.
Biden’s Re-Election Campaign Intends To Continue Using TikTok, While Trump’s Campaign Has Not Joined The Platform.
In Late 2022, Biden Signed Legislation Prohibiting U.S. Government Employees From Using TikTok On Government Phones.
