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A federal appeals court upheld a law on Friday (December 6) that could lead to a nationwide ban on TikTok unless it is sold by its China-based parent company, ByteDance. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the law, which requires TikTok to divest from ByteDance by January 19, is constitutional. The court rejected TikTok's argument that the ban violates the First Amendment rights of millions of Americans.
The decision marks a significant victory for the Biden administration, which has argued that TikTok poses a national security threat due to its ties to China. The court stated that the law aims to protect U.S. national security by preventing a foreign adversary from accessing American data. TikTok and ByteDance have denied allegations of data misuse and plan to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.
The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April, gives TikTok until January 19, 2025, to divest from ByteDance or face a ban. However, President-elect Donald Trump, who previously attempted to ban TikTok, has expressed opposition to the ban and has vowed to "save" the app. Trump could potentially influence the enforcement of the law once he takes office.
The ban would not immediately remove TikTok from users' devices but would stop updates, eventually rendering the app unusable. The ruling has sparked concerns about the impact on TikTok's 170 million American users, who may need to find alternative platforms for communication.
As the legal battle continues, TikTok's future in the U.S. remains uncertain, with the possibility of further appeals and negotiations ahead.