Federal appeals court refuses TikTok’s attempt to reverse US ban

(MENAFN) A federal appeals court on Friday dealt a significant blow to TikTok, rejecting the company's attempt to overturn a law that mandates the platform's ban unless it finds a new owner. This ruling brings the popular app closer to a potential U.S. ban, which is set to take effect on January 19, 2025. TikTok had argued that the law violated the First Amendment, claiming that banning the app would prevent American users from accessing a widely used platform for public expression. The company also contested allegations that the app posed a national security threat.

The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit sided with the law, rejecting TikTok’s challenge. The decision is particularly impactful as TikTok boasts over 170 million users in the U.S., and this ruling brings it one step closer to being banned nationwide. The app, owned by the China-based company ByteDance, has been under intense scrutiny due to concerns over the potential for the Chinese government to access U.S. user data and use the platform for spreading misinformation.

TikTok's legal team denied these claims, asserting that the app does not pose a security risk, but the court found merit in the national security concerns raised by the U.S. government. Specifically, the court highlighted potential risks related to data collection and content manipulation by the Chinese government. In its opinion, the court pointed to past instances in which the People's Republic of China (PRC) leveraged relationships with Chinese-owned businesses to obtain sensitive data.

The court’s ruling reinforces the national security interests cited by the U.S. government, suggesting that the concerns over TikTok’s ties to China are legitimate. As the case progresses, the company faces growing challenges in its efforts to continue operating in the U.S. without a change in ownership.

MENAFN09122024000045015839ID1108970248