TikTok Facing Ban in the United States

TikTok is one step closer to being banned in the United States. On Friday (Dec. 6), CNN reported that a federal appeals court consisting of three judges ruled unanimously to uphold a law that could outlaw the popular app in America. The legislation was originally passed back in April, with Congress requiring TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the company to an American owner by Jan. 19, 2025. President Joe Biden then signed the legislation into law, putting pressure on the company to comply or face an outright ban.

Legal Decision and Implications

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit released a statement regarding the decision. The legal body asserted that their decision was made in good faith, citing to protect American citizens’ right to free speech from “a foreign adversary nation and to limit that adversary’s ability to gather data on people in the United States.”

“We recognize that this decision has significant implications for TikTok and its users. Unless TikTok executes a qualified divestiture by January 19, 2025 — or the President grants a 90-day extension based upon progress towards a qualified divestiture, § 2(a)(3) — its platform will effectively be unavailable in the United States, at least for a time,” the ruling concluded.

“Consequently, TikTok’s millions of users will need to find alternative media of communication. That burden is attributable to the PRC’s hybrid commercial threat to U.S. national security, not to the U.S. Government, which engaged with TikTok through a multi-year process in an effort to find an alternative solution. The First Amendment exists to protect free speech in the United States. Here the Government acted solely to protect that freedom from a foreign adversary nation and to limit that adversary’s ability to gather data on people in the United States.”

Response from TikTok

However, with the ball now in TikTok’s court, the company could look to take the battle to the Supreme Court floor. The social media app released a statement of their own, saying, “The Supreme Court has an established historical record of protecting Americans’ right to free speech, and we expect they will do just that on this important constitutional issue,” the company’s statement read. “Unfortunately, the TikTok ban was conceived and pushed through based upon inaccurate, flawed and hypothetical information, resulting in outright censorship of the American people. The TikTok ban, unless stopped, will silence the voices of over 170 million Americans here in the US and around the world on January 19th, 2025.”

Popularity and Impact of TikTok

Interestingly enough, newly elected president Donald Trump tackled the TikTok issue during his election campaign. Trump stated that, once he took office in January, he would work to “save TikTok.”

Since September 2017, TikTok has become a mainstay for millions of Americans, especially as a means of employment. According to statistics gathered by NBC News, the application is now used by half of the country.

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 13: Participants hold signs in support of TikTok outside the U.S. Capitol Building on March 13, 2024 in Washington, DC. The House of Representatives will vote Wednesday on whether to ban TikTok in the United States due to concerns over personal privacy and national security unless the Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance sells the popular video app within the next six months.

FAQs

Q: Why is TikTok facing a potential ban in the United States?

A: TikTok is facing a potential ban in the United States due to concerns over national security and data privacy, prompting legislation that requires its Chinese owner to sell the company to an American owner by a specific deadline.

Q: What are the implications of the ban on TikTok users?

A: If TikTok does not comply with the divestiture requirements, its platform may become unavailable in the United States, impacting millions of users who will have to seek alternative communication channels.

Q: How is TikTok responding to the ban?

A: TikTok is considering legal options, including potentially appealing to the Supreme Court, to challenge the ban and protect users’ right to free speech.

Q: How popular is TikTok in the United States?

A: TikTok has gained significant popularity in the United States since 2017, with millions of Americans using the app for entertainment and employment purposes.

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