TikTok says it will wage a legal war after President Biden signed a bipartisan bill forcing its Beijing-based parent company to sell the popular video-sharing app or face a ban by the United States. I swore.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said in a video posted shortly after Biden signed legislation giving ByteDance a 270-day moratorium on selling TikTok’s U.S. assets: “Rest in peace. We’re not going anywhere.”
“The facts and the Constitution are on our side, and we expect to prevail.”
Biden’s signature sets the deadline for the sale to be Jan. 19, the day before his term ends, but ByteDance could extend the deadline by three months if it sees progress on the deal.
But Chu assured the app’s 170 million users in the United States that it would continue to operate even if TikTok challenged the restrictions.
“This unconstitutional law bans TikTok, and we intend to challenge it in court,” a TikTok spokesperson told the Post.
“This ban will destroy 7 million businesses and silence 170 million Americans.”
The bill passed the Senate overwhelmingly late Tuesday after widespread concerns among U.S. lawmakers that China could access Americans’ data or monitor them with apps. It was passed by a majority. The House approved it on Saturday.
The four-year battle over TikTok is a key front in the war between Washington and Beijing over the internet and technology. Apple announced last week that China had ordered Meta-owned WhatsApp and Threads removed from China’s App Store, citing China’s national security concerns.
Singapore-based TikTok has denied that the Chinese government has any control over its app.
Chinese government officials remained silent Wednesday, referring reporters to a statement last month that called on the United States to “stop its unjust oppression of foreign companies.”
TikTok said it has “invested billions of dollars to keep U.S. data safe and protect our platform from outside influence and manipulation.”
The company has said it will challenge the law on First Amendment grounds, and TikTok users also expected to take legal action again.
In November, a judge in Montana blocked the state’s ban on TikTok on free speech grounds.
The American Civil Liberties Union said banning or requiring the transfer of TikTok “sets an alarming global precedent for excessive government control over social media platforms.”
The American Civil Liberties Union said banning or requiring the transfer of TikTok “sets an alarming global precedent for excessive government control over social media platforms.”
But experts say the new bill will likely give the Biden administration a strong legal basis to ban TikTok if ByteDance fails to sell the app.
If ByteDance fails to sell TikTok, app stores run by companies like Apple and Google will not be able to legally offer TikTok or provide web hosting services for ByteDance-managed applications or TikTok’s website.
The bill would also give the White House new tools to ban or force the sale of other foreign-owned apps that are deemed security threats.
Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden said he was concerned that the bill “gives broad powers that could be abused by future administrations to violate the First Amendment rights of Americans.” He said he is doing so.
The Biden administration will have to walk a tight legal rope, experts say.
Justin Hurwitz, senior fellow and academic director of the Center for Technology, Innovation, and Competition at the Carey Law School at the University of Pennsylvania, said, “Courts may agree that this law is an attempt to address a compelling government interest.” “It’s very sexual,” he said.
“The question is whether it can be done effectively and with minimal impact on other speech.”
Liberals seem to agree with Chu.
Patrick Toomey, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Security Project, said in a statement that TikTok’s ban would directly or indirectly undermine the First Amendment rights of more than 170 million Americans. It’s a violation,” he said.
“The Constitution protects Americans’ ability to access information around the world and express themselves online, but the government has to overcome the very high hurdles needed to ban social media apps like TikTok. He hasn’t presented any evidence.”
Toomey said the ACLU is “considering our role in potential litigation challenging the federal ban.”
However, others are concerned that TikTok, in particular, has “the potential to exploit its vast user base” and “could be used as a tool for misinformation campaigns and data collection by foreign actors.” He said that TikTok poses a threat. said Lisa Plaggemier, executive director of the National Cyber security Alliance.
Plagemier said China’s “track record of aggressive cyber activity” raises “concerns about advanced cyber threats targeting U.S. users, including surveillance, data breaches, and manipulation of online discourse.”
Chu said the ban was “an unfortunate moment, but it doesn’t have to be definitive.”
“This is truly ironic because freedom of expression on TikTok reflects the same American values that make America a beacon of freedom,” he continued.
“TikTok offers a powerful way to be seen and heard by ordinary Americans.”
with post wire
