TikTok seeks to fight the app ban in the US

TikTok has gone through a lot of ups and downs in the United States. The controversy surrounding the ByteDance-owned app began during Donald Trump's presidency, with politicians accusing the platform of having suspicious ties to the Chinese Communist Party, even capable of acting as a spy tool for China. After many rounds of sanctions by the Trump and Biden presidential administrations, it seems that TikTok will have to divest from parent company ByteDance in order to continue operating in the US.

With the bill to ban TikTok passed by the House, Senate and President Biden, the popular video sharing app is now at risk of being banned in the US. TikTok now has 270 days to cut ties with ByteDance or face a ban, but the app doesn't want to back down.

As reported by Reuters, TikTok's CEO said on Wednesday that the company will start a legal battle against the bill to keep the platform operating for its huge user base, with more than 170 million Americans. "Rest assured - we're not going anywhere ," CEO Shou Zi Chew reassured users. TikTok also called the ban unconstitutional (according to BBC), adding that 'The truth and the Constitution are on our side. We hope to win again'.

TikTok hopes to reverse the ban in the US

The deadline for TikTok to implement the ruling is January 19 next year, one day before Mr. Biden's term ends. However, the time can be extended if the US government sees ByteDance's goodwill in selling the application. Meanwhile, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said people in the Biden administration 'don't want to see a ban' , but the fact that TikTok's ownership is in Chinese hands makes them concerned.

ByteDance's divestment from TikTok is a complicated process. The buyer must have enough capital to purchase the app, and both US and Chinese lawmakers must approve the deal. Given TikTok's incredible user base in the United States, any deal could be worth billions of dollars. Despite this, major technology companies have not yet shown much interest in acquiring TikTok.

TikTok still hopes to rely on the First Amendment and free speech advocates to overturn the ban. Back in November, a judge in Montana blocked TikTok's ban in the state for similar reasons. The bill to ban TikTok in the US also has many other opponents, such as Senator Laphonza Butler from California, who advised the Biden administration to consider the plight of 8,000 TikTok employees in the country.

Because many American technology companies currently operate in China, the Chinese Communist Party also has many options if it wants to seek retaliation. Last week, the Chinese Communist Party ordered Apple to remove WhatsApp and Threads from its app store in China, citing national security concerns. This could be the premise for many US applications to suffer the same fate as TikTok in China, if this application is banned in the US.