The U.S. Department of Justice has asked an appeals court to reject legal challenges to a law requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to divest its U.S. assets by January 19 or face a ban. The move by the Department of Justice is the latest development in the ongoing battle over the controversial video-sharing app used by 170 million Americans.
The government argues that TikTok poses a significant national security threat due to its Chinese ownership, citing concerns about data collection and potential manipulation of content by the Chinese government. To support its case, the Justice Department is submitting a classified document to the court, detailing additional security concerns and including declarations from the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the DOJ’s National Security Division.
TikTok Legal Battle and Political Implications
The law in question was signed by President Joe Biden in April and gives ByteDance until January 19 to separate from TikTok or face a ban. The White House has made it clear that its goal is to end Chinese ownership of the app on national security grounds, without outright banning the app.
TikTok, ByteDance, and a group of TikTok creators have filed lawsuits to block the law, claiming it violates First Amendment rights. However, the DoJ has rejected TikTok’s arguments that the law violates First Amendment rights, asserting that the law addresses security concerns rather than restricting free speech.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia will hear oral arguments on Sept. 16, placing the fate of TikTok squarely at the center of the 2024 presidential election. Despite the ongoing controversy, both Republican candidate Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have recently joined the platform, where they promote their political campaigns.
National Security Concerns and Legislative Action
The consequences of a ban could be significant, with app stores like Apple and Google’s Alphabet prevented from offering TikTok, and internet hosting services barred from supporting it unless ByteDance divests its ownership. The law was passed overwhelmingly in Congress, reflecting growing concerns among U.S. lawmakers about the potential for China to access or exploit data on American users through the app.
The government argues that TikTok’s efforts to protect U.S. user data are insufficient, and that China could use the platform to manipulate information consumed by Americans.
As the deadline approaches, the future of TikTok in the United States remains uncertain, with significant implications for users, creators, influencers and social media usage. TikTok has also faced controversy and government action in other countries, being banned by several states and earlier being fined £12.7 million by the UK’s Information Commissioner for misusing children’s data and breach of several data protection laws.
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