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TikTok Ban Update September: Here's What You Need to Know
The debate over TikTok’s future in the U.S. has intensified as the platform faces a potential ban due to concerns over national security. In September 2024, TikTok took its case to the U.S. Court of Appeals in an effort to prevent a forced sale or ban, arguing that the law targeting its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, violates the First Amendment rights of millions of American users.
Why Is TikTok Facing a Ban?
TikTok’s troubles began when U.S. lawmakers expressed concerns that ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, could potentially be forced to hand over user data to the Chinese government. As a result, President Biden signed a law in April 2024 giving ByteDance until January 2025 to divest its U.S. operations or face a complete ban. The main source of this skepticism comes from the fact that TikTok's sourcecode has been written in China and can pose a security threat. If the Chinese government decided to spy on American citizens or if they were to publish propaganda, it could pose another serious security threat.
(POLITICO)(AOL.com)
What Happened in Court?
In September 2024, TikTok argued in front of a federal appeals court, claiming the law is unconstitutional, asserting that it targets the platform unfairly and threatens the free speech rights of its 170 million U.S. users. The U.S. government maintains that TikTok poses a security threat, and the case is now centered on whether national security concerns outweigh First Amendment protections.
The judges in the case expressed skepticism toward both sides, questioning the government's claims of national security threats while also probing TikTok’s defense of its ownership structure. A ruling is expected by December, but whichever way it goes, the case is likely to be appealed, possibly reaching the Supreme Court.
What Happens Next?
If TikTok loses, the app may face a ban by January 2025 unless it finds a non-Chinese buyer. However, if TikTok wins, it could continue operating under its current ownership. Both sides are preparing for a lengthy legal battle. We expect the results to not be finalized until after the presidential election cycle this year.
For now, TikTok remains available in the U.S., but its future is uncertain as the legal process unfolds.
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