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TikTok and parent company ByteDance will face a crucial court hearing on Monday that could see the video-hosting platform banned in the United States.
The US Court of Appeal in Washington D.C. will hold the next stage of the saga, which will extend into the final weeks of the presidential election campaign, with both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris known to be targeting the youth vote with content on TikTok.
President Biden signed a bill earlier this year, compelling TikTok to divest ownership of its US app by January 19, 2025, or face a total ban in the States. If the Chinese-owned app is prohibited, the company stands to lose 170 million Americans, representing a significant part of its user base.
The legislation sailed through Congress in April, amid geopolitical tensions and fears that China could be using the app as a spy tool.
Further to this, the Department of Justice alleges TikTok’s Chinese ownership maintains links to the Beijing government, citing national security concerns around data usage and storage arrangements, but the company refutes the claims.
“Not Possible Technologically, Commercially, or Legally”
TikTok insists the US government has misunderstood the background ties and lacks legitimate evidence to support its national security concerns. In its defense, alongside ByteDance, the social media platform claims the bill is unconstitutional, denying Americans’ right to free speech, and represents “a radical departure from this country’s tradition of championing an open Internet.”
The legal battle appears to be coming to a head, with ByteDance stating a divestiture is “not possible technologically, commercially, or legally”.
In May, the company denied reports it was working on a US-only algorithm to possibly circumvent an upcoming ban.
