TikTok Urges Supreme Court to Block Nationwide Ban Ahead of Presidential Inauguration
TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, have appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to halt an impending nationwide ban on the app, arguing that the law threatens to eliminate one of the country’s most prominent platforms for free speech.
In its court filing, TikTok emphasized that banning the app on January 19—just one day before the presidential inauguration—would silence millions of users during a critical political moment. “The Act will shutter one of America’s most popular speech platforms the day before a presidential inauguration,” TikTok stated. “This will silence the speech of Applicants and the many Americans who use the platform to communicate about politics, commerce, arts, and other matters of public concern.”
At the center of the dispute is the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, a bipartisan law aimed at addressing national security concerns. The law requires ByteDance to sell TikTok to a U.S.-based company or face a nationwide ban.
TikTok’s efforts to delay the law have already faced setbacks. Last week, the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia rejected TikTok’s request to pause the law’s implementation, prompting the company to escalate its case to the Supreme Court. Without intervention, TikTok argues, the law will effectively shut down the platform, which boasts over 170 million U.S. users.
The Justice Department has defended the law, stating that Chinese ownership of TikTok poses a significant national security threat due to concerns over data collection. However, TikTok counters these claims, noting that its U.S. user data and recommendation systems are stored domestically on Oracle-operated servers, with key content moderation decisions made in the United States.
The Supreme Court now faces a critical decision. If it temporarily blocks the law, it would allow time to review the case’s constitutionality or send it back to a lower court for reconsideration. If the Court rejects TikTok’s emergency request, the law will take effect as scheduled, leaving TikTok’s future uncertain.
At that point, President Joe Biden would decide whether to grant a 90-day extension for ByteDance to complete a sale, while President-elect Trump would ultimately determine TikTok’s fate. Trump, who unsuccessfully attempted to ban TikTok during his first term, has since softened his stance, indicating before the November election that he would oppose a ban.
The United States wouldn’t be the first to implement a TikTok ban. India blocked the app nationwide in 2020, while regions like the European Commission and European Council have imposed restrictions on official devices.
TikTok has urged the Supreme Court to intervene by January 6.
Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/tiktok-ban-us-google-apple-app-store-b2665091.html
What are your thoughts on the potential ban of Tiktok?
TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, have appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to halt an impending nationwide ban on the app, arguing that the law threatens to eliminate one of the country’s most prominent platforms for free speech.
In its court filing, TikTok emphasized that banning the app on January 19—just one day before the presidential inauguration—would silence millions of users during a critical political moment. “The Act will shutter one of America’s most popular speech platforms the day before a presidential inauguration,” TikTok stated. “This will silence the speech of Applicants and the many Americans who use the platform to communicate about politics, commerce, arts, and other matters of public concern.”
At the center of the dispute is the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, a bipartisan law aimed at addressing national security concerns. The law requires ByteDance to sell TikTok to a U.S.-based company or face a nationwide ban.
TikTok’s efforts to delay the law have already faced setbacks. Last week, the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia rejected TikTok’s request to pause the law’s implementation, prompting the company to escalate its case to the Supreme Court. Without intervention, TikTok argues, the law will effectively shut down the platform, which boasts over 170 million U.S. users.
The Justice Department has defended the law, stating that Chinese ownership of TikTok poses a significant national security threat due to concerns over data collection. However, TikTok counters these claims, noting that its U.S. user data and recommendation systems are stored domestically on Oracle-operated servers, with key content moderation decisions made in the United States.
The Supreme Court now faces a critical decision. If it temporarily blocks the law, it would allow time to review the case’s constitutionality or send it back to a lower court for reconsideration. If the Court rejects TikTok’s emergency request, the law will take effect as scheduled, leaving TikTok’s future uncertain.
At that point, President Joe Biden would decide whether to grant a 90-day extension for ByteDance to complete a sale, while President-elect Trump would ultimately determine TikTok’s fate. Trump, who unsuccessfully attempted to ban TikTok during his first term, has since softened his stance, indicating before the November election that he would oppose a ban.
The United States wouldn’t be the first to implement a TikTok ban. India blocked the app nationwide in 2020, while regions like the European Commission and European Council have imposed restrictions on official devices.
TikTok has urged the Supreme Court to intervene by January 6.
Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/tiktok-ban-us-google-apple-app-store-b2665091.html
What are your thoughts on the potential ban of Tiktok?
