TikTok encounters American prohibition amid ongoing United States-China tensions
Date
9/25/2024 8:28:16 AM
(MENAFN) TikTok, the popular short-video platform boasting around 1.6 billion users globally, with 170 million in the United States alone, finds itself entangled in the ongoing geopolitical strife between the U.S. and China. Owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, TikTok has faced increasing scrutiny from the U.S. government, which is moving toward a potential ban citing national security concerns.
The Biden administration is expected to enforce a ban on TikTok unless ByteDance divests the platform to a non-Chinese owner by January 2025. In response, TikTok has initiated legal action against the U.S. Department of Justice, aiming to continue its operations in the country. Both TikTok and the U.S. government are steadfast in their positions as the legal proceedings progress.
Central to the debate are fears over data privacy and national security. U.S. lawmakers have frequently accused TikTok of covertly sharing data from American users with the Chinese government, a claim that TikTok vigorously denies. These allegations have gained traction amid a broader climate of competition between the U.S. and China, encompassing economic, political, and military dimensions.
In April 2024, the U.S. Congress passed legislation categorizing TikTok as a national security threat, designating it as a "foreign adversary-controlled application." President Biden subsequently signed the bill into law, which stipulates that ByteDance must divest from TikTok by January 19, 2025, or face a complete ban in the United States. Should ByteDance fail to meet this deadline, TikTok may find itself entirely prohibited from operating in the American market, intensifying the stakes in this high-profile dispute.
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