Today, TikTok and ByteDance will appear before the Supreme Court, challenging a law that would require the social media giant to sell to a U.S. company before January 19.
If ByteDance refuses to sell the platform, TikTok will face a nationwide ban beginning January 19.
Tikok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, has been accused of links with the Chinese government, fueling growing national security concerns regarding user data privacy. Nearly two dozen state attorneys are in support of the law, however, President-elect Trump has pleaded with the Supreme Court to delay the decision until he steps into power.
Opponents of the ban say it could infringe not only the First Amendment rights of both TikTok and its users but “the entire nation.” According to court documents, the social media platform is “one of the most significant speech platforms in America,” and “at war with the First Amendment.”
Yesterday, a group calling itself “The People’s Bid for TikTok” formally offered to buy TikTok from its parent company, ByteDance. The group, led by billionaire entrepreneur Frank McCourt and backed by Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary, did not disclose the value of the offered amount. Leading up to today’s court proceedings, TikTok remains off the market.
A January 19 ban on TikTok would mean that the app, which has over 100 million users in the U.S., would be removed from the App Store. However, users who already have the app installed in the region would still be able to use it until they are required to update the software.
By CEO NA Editorial Staff
