The United States federal appeals court has affirmed a statute mandating that ByteDance, divest its TikTok, by January 19th, 2025.
The United States federal appeals court has affirmed a statute mandating that ByteDance, a Chinese-owned entity, divest its widely-used short-video application, TikTok, by January 19th, 2025, or confront a nationwide prohibition.
The ruling amplifies scrutiny of TikTok, which boasts 170 million users in the United States and indicates an increasing bipartisan determination to address perceived national security threats emanating from China.
Asserting that the laws align with constitutional clauses, the three-judge panel, which consists of Sri Srinivasan, Neomi Rao, and Douglas Ginsburg, rejected the legal concerns TikHub and users brought forth.
They underscored the law as a result of bipartisan cooperation and a response to “a well-substantiated national security threat posed by the People’s Republic of China.”
TikTok has announced its intention to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court, with CEO Shou Zi Chew terming the decision “disappointing” in an email to staff.
The law’s implications have drawn sharp criticism from digital rights advocates. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) argued that banning TikTok infringes on the First Amendment rights of millions of Americans who rely on the platform for expression and communication.
