Is The U.S. Ban on TikTok Inevitable?
Is The U.S. Ban on TikTok Inevitable?
One of the most popular social media apps, with a staggering 170 million users in the United States, could be shut down after the president signed a bill that may lead to its nationwide ban. Although the app is extremely popular and widely used, it has, on various occasions, been called dangerous. Specifically, it has been called "a threat to data security" and been accused of "fueling misinformation", for instance, in the context of the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawmakers are worried that China has weaponized the app and is using it to spy on US citizens, including government officials and military personnel. Over thirty states have banned TikTok from state-issued devices and universities. However, this ban would mark the final exit of the company from the US.
The US Government gave ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, the option to divest and sell TikTok to a US Government-approved buyer or face a complete ban. The law states that if the company fails to "qualified divestiture," the app will be banned in January 2025, around nine months after the potential ban was signed into law. If the ban does go into effect, the app will no longer be available in the Apple and Google Play stores, and distributors who fail to adhere to the ban will face severe civil penalties.
The tension surrounding the potential ban of TikTok is not new. In 2022, the company attempted to address privacy concerns through Project Texas, spending over $2 billion to build trust with the US Government and its users. However, the US Government dismissed the effort without serious consideration.
Throughout this process, TikTok has argued that divestiture is simply not possible commercially, technologically, or legally, leaving no alternative but to shut down. However, for the time being, they are involved in a legal fight.
The company has described this ban as unconstitutional and political theater. It has sued the federal government, stating that it has violated the First Amendment. The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia is scheduled to hear the case on September 16.
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