On Wednesday, TikTok CEO Shou Chew announced that the company will be taking legal action to stay online in the United States after President Joe Biden signed a federal ban. The ban includes a nine-month delay, giving ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, the option to sell the app rather than face a national ban.
Chew expressed confidence in the company’s ability to fight for its rights in court, posting a two-minute video on TikTok’s main corporate account reassuring users that TikTok is not going anywhere and emphasizing their commitment to continuing their legal battle. The video received around 176,000 likes within an hour of being posted.
TikTok has had success in court when facing potential bans. In 2020, a federal judge blocked an attempt by former President Donald Trump to ban the app in the United States. More recently, in November, a federal judge ruled in favor of content creators who had sued to block a statewide ban on TikTok in Montana. The judge cited infringement on users’ constitutional rights as a reason for his decision.
The ongoing debate over TikTok not only concerns free speech and social media but also tackles issues surrounding data security and content manipulation. Proponents of a ban raise concerns about the potential for Chinese ownership of the app to compromise user data security and enable Chinese espionage. It is also suggested that China could pressure TikTok to promote its foreign policy objectives by influencing what users see.
TikTok has addressed these concerns by storing data in the United States and refuting claims of promoting propaganda. Despite this, Biden signed the federal ban as part of a $95 billion national security package that includes aid to countries like Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine. The outcome of TikTok’s legal battle remains uncertain as they continue their fight for their rights to operate in the United States.