A US appeals court has denied TikTok’s urgent request to delay a law that could ban the app unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sells its stake by January 19. TikTok now faces a tight deadline to appeal to the Supreme Court to avoid a nationwide ban.
Court Denies TikTok’s Request to Block Divestment Order
On Friday, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled against TikTok and ByteDance’s emergency motion, stating there was no precedent for halting a Congressional law while awaiting a Supreme Court decision. This leaves TikTok with no option but to seek immediate relief from the Supreme Court.
Popular Platform at Risk of Shutdown
TikTok and ByteDance warned that the law threatens to shut down the app for its 170 million monthly US users. They argue that the ban would curtail free expression and stifle one of the nation’s most-used social platforms.
National Security Concerns Drive US Decision
The law mandates ByteDance to sell TikTok by January 19 or face a ban, citing national security concerns over Chinese ownership and potential misuse of American user data. The US Justice Department insists that TikTok’s ties to China pose an ongoing threat.
TikTok disputes these claims, stating that user data is stored on Oracle servers in the US and that moderation decisions for American users are made within the country.
Leadership Change Could Influence Ban
If the Supreme Court does not intervene, President Joe Biden will decide whether to grant a 90-day extension on the deadline. If no extension is issued, the decision falls to Donald Trump, who takes office on January 20. Although Trump previously tried to ban TikTok in 2020, he has since stated he opposes a ban.
TikTok’s Last Stand: Supreme Court Appeal
TikTok must now quickly appeal to the Supreme Court to halt the law. The outcome will decide whether the platform continues to operate in the US or faces a complete shutdown, affecting millions of users and ByteDance’s future operations.
