US court orders TikTok to sell or face ban by January 2025
A US federal appeals court has upheld a law requiring TikTok to sell to an American owner by January 19, 2025, or face a nationwide ban. The decision intensifies the scrutiny over the social media platform’s ties to its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, citing national security concerns.
The court rejected TikTok’s argument that the law violates the US Constitution, emphasizing that the legislation targets foreign control rather than content or speech on the platform. Judges stated, “The risk of foreign adversary influence is significant enough to act, even without direct evidence of manipulation in the US.”
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In response, TikTok announced plans to appeal to the Supreme Court. TikTok spokesperson Michael Hughes criticized the ruling, calling it “censorship based on flawed and hypothetical concerns.” ByteDance has firmly stated it will not sell TikTok, describing the demand as impossible.
US officials argue that TikTok’s ownership could allow the Chinese government to access American user data or manipulate content for propaganda purposes, despite no evidence of such actions to date. The court’s decision allows President Biden the option to extend the January deadline once, though no decision has been made yet.
If a ban is enforced, penalties will be imposed on app stores and internet providers for hosting TikTok. Analysts predict that competitors such as Meta, YouTube, and Snapchat could benefit significantly from TikTok’s absence.
The potential ban has raised concerns among TikTok’s 170 million American users and content creators. Many creators worry about losing their platform, with one remarking, “I don’t want Zuckerberg to own TikTok. This is insane.”
Critics argue that targeting TikTok specifically sets a dangerous precedent. Patrick Toomey from the ACLU described the law as overreach, stating, “The government has no evidence of harm.” Civil rights groups have called for broader privacy laws to address security concerns without singling out individual apps.
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