TikTok Vows to Challenge New US Law in Court: There’s No Mistake, This Is a Ban

TikTok has been the target of American authorities for years, and a new legislation gives the social media platform nine months to sever ties with its Chinese parent company ByteDance or face exclusion from the American market. The US and other Western officials have accused TikTok of enabling Beijing to gather data and spy on its users. With 170 million users in the United States, many of them young, there are concerns that TikTok also serves as a conduit for spreading propaganda. While China and the company deny these allegations, many politicians who sponsored the bill acknowledge that a ban on TikTok is the ultimate goal.

Chew, a representative of TikTok, called the move “ironic,” as the freedom of expression on the platform reflects the same American values that make the United States a beacon of freedom. Despite the challenges, TikTok remains committed to fighting for the rights of its users in the courts. The bill, which passed the Senate with a 79-18 vote and received strong bipartisan support in the House of Representatives, could result in the rare step of barring a company from operating in the US market. Under the legislation, ByteDance would have to sell the app or risk exclusion from Apple and Google’s app stores in the United States.

Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X (formerly Twitter), recently voiced opposition to banning TikTok, stating that such an action would be contrary to freedom of speech and expression. It is important to note that this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.