TikTok vows to challenge ‘unconstitutional’ law that could ban app from US

TikTok vowed Wednesday to challenge a law that could ban the popular social media app in the United States.

“This unconstitutional law bans TikTok, and we intend to challenge it in court,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “The facts and the law are clearly on our side and we believe that ultimately we will prevail.”

President Biden on Wednesday signed legislation requiring TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance to withdraw from the app or face a ban on U.S. devices and networks.

The move was part of a $95 billion foreign aid package that would provide Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with long-sought additional funding.

An earlier version of the bill passed by the House met opposition in the Senate, but the bill passed the Senate on Tuesday as part of a foreign aid package.

The bill has been amended to extend the period ByteDance must sell TikTok from about six months to a maximum of one year, and some, including Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) allayed the concerns of critics.

Supporters say the bill is needed to reduce national security and data privacy risks from apps, while critics, including TikTok, say it raises free speech concerns. .

“In fact, we have invested billions of dollars to keep U.S. data safe and protect our platform from outside influence and manipulation,” a TikTok spokesperson said. “This ban will destroy 7 million businesses and silence 170 million Americans.

“As we continue to challenge this unconstitutional ban, we will continue to invest and innovate to ensure TikTok remains a space where Americans from all walks of life can safely share experiences, find joy, and find inspiration.” “We are going,” they added.

TikTok CEO Hsu Chiu described Wednesday’s passage of the bill as a “disappointing moment,” but stressed that it “doesn’t have to be definitive.”

“Don’t worry, we’re not going anywhere,” Chu said in a video posted to TikTok.

Updated at 3:32 p.m. EDT.