TikTok faces potential US ban after losing critical court appeal

Photo : AP

TikTok is now closer to being banned in the United States after it lost an important legal case on Friday. The case was about a new law that requires TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app by January 19. If they don’t, the app could be removed from US app stores and blocked from using American web services. This decision could lead to more problems between the United States and China.

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TikTok has said it will now try to appeal this case to the Supreme Court. The company believes that the Supreme Court will protect free speech rights and rule in their favor. They said this is an important legal issue.

The law was signed by President Joe Biden in April. The law would stop TikTok from being available in US app stores or using American internet services unless ByteDance sells the app. The US government believes TikTok is a security threat because it could allow the Chinese government to spy on American users and share false or harmful information. China and ByteDance have denied these claims.

A group of three judges ruled in favor of the law. They said that separating TikTok from China is necessary to keep Americans safe. The judges also explained that the law does not stop free speech because it does not aim to target certain opinions. They also ruled that no other plan would solve these security concerns as effectively.

Merrick Garland, the US Attorney General, said that the US government will continue to protect Americans’ private information from being misused by other countries.

Donald Trump, the former US President and president-elect, has shown support for TikTok. Trump believes that banning TikTok would mainly benefit Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram. Trump has criticized Meta for silencing conservative views.

This support from Trump is a change because, during his first term as President, he tried to ban TikTok for similar security reasons. However, his efforts were blocked by court decisions after people raised concerns about free speech.

Even with this ban threat, TikTok is still growing in the United States. The app reported $100 million in sales during Black Friday because of its new shopping features. Experts predict that TikTok’s ad income in the US will reach $15.5 billion next year, making up 4.5% of all digital ad spending.

Experts also warn that banning TikTok would cause big changes in the social media market. Other companies like Meta, YouTube, and Snap would benefit, but it would hurt small businesses and creators who depend on TikTok for income.

One expert said that even if Trump tries to help TikTok, his views on this issue are unpredictable. Legal experts believe the Supreme Court may not act quickly on this case. If this happens, TikTok will likely have to shut down in the United States soon.