TikTok has found itself in a legal battle with the US after a bill was passed that could potentially force the company to divest its US operations. The app filed a formal legal challenge against the recently approved "Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act" claiming that it violates the constitution and is essentially designed to ban TikTok in the country.
In its filing, TikTok argues that the bill unlawfully singles out the company by name and that a forced sale is simply not a viable option within the timeframe required by the Act. TikTok has built an enormous userbase of 170 million Americans who enjoy creating and sharing videos on the platform. According to TikTok, banning the app would infringe upon people's rights to freely express themselves online.
The bill calls for TikTok to be completely divested from its Chinese parent company ByteDance in order to continue operating in the US. However, TikTok claims that such a divestment just isn't possible within the 270 days stipulated in the Act, either from a commercial, technological or legal standpoint. If the conditions of the bill can't be met, it would essentially amount to an outright ban of the app in the country.
Senators who drafted the bill argue that national security concerns around TikTok's Chinese ownership justify the need for a divestment. However, TikTok says these concerns are speculative at best and that lawmakers have failed to provide any concrete evidence that the app poses a legitimate threat. The company believes the bill is unconstitutional and based more on hypothetical worries rather than any real issues.
While the legal battle plays out in court, TikTok users in the US will have to wait and see if the app remains available domestically or if it faces an effective ban. As one of the most popular social platforms globally, losing access to the massive American market would undoubtedly hurt TikTok's business. The outcome of this case could have major implications both for the company and for government control over social media more broadly.
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