US bans TikTok amid continuing tensions with China
Date
9/24/2024 9:35:27 AM
(MENAFN) TikTok, the globally popular short-video platform with an estimated 1.6 billion users worldwide, including 170 million in the US, remains embroiled in the intensifying geopolitical tensions between the United States and China. Owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, TikTok has faced increasing scrutiny from US officials who have raised concerns about national security. As a result, the Biden administration has taken steps toward potentially banning the platform unless its ownership changes hands, fueling a complex legal and political battle between the two nations.
In January, the Biden administration is expected to enforce a ban on TikTok if ByteDance does not sell the platform to a non-Chinese entity. In response to these moves, TikTok has filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Justice in an effort to remain operational in the US market. Both sides are digging in, with TikTok maintaining that it poses no security threat, while US lawmakers continue to press their case, citing fears that the app is covertly sharing American user data with the Chinese government—an accusation TikTok firmly denies.
This controversy has only grown in intensity as US-China competition expands across economic, political, and military fronts. In April 2024, Congress passed legislation formally labeling TikTok as a national security threat due to its classification as a "foreign adversary-controlled application." President Joe Biden signed the bill into law, setting a strict deadline for ByteDance to divest from TikTok by January 19, 2025. If ByteDance fails to comply, the platform faces a complete ban from the US market. However, the law does allow the president to extend this deadline by up to 90 days, provided that ByteDance shows significant progress in its sale negotiations.
Beyond concerns about data privacy, several members of Congress have also accused TikTok of being used as a tool for Chinese propaganda, arguing that the platform attempts to influence American public opinion on political issues. These claims have added another layer to the already complex standoff between the US government and TikTok, with the platform's future in the US hanging in the balance as both sides prepare for further legal and political confrontations.
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