TikTok Says Law Is on Its Side as It Readies to Fight US Ban
(Bloomberg) -- TikTok said legislation passed by the US Congress Tuesday evening that would force its Chinese parent company to sell its stake or face a total ban of the app in America is “unconstitutional,” and the company will challenge it in court.
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“We believe the facts and the law are clearly on our side, and we will ultimately prevail,” TikTok said in a post on X.
TikTok’s executives have been largely quiet since Congress decided to fast-track legislation against the app by tying it to a package of bills that include foreign aid for Ukraine and Israel. The measure is meant to address national security concerns that the Chinese government could access user data or influence what’s seen on the app through TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance Ltd.
Read more: What a TikTok Ban in the US Would Mean for the App: QuickTake
ByteDance would have less than a year to divest its stake before a ban would take effect. Before any kind of separation, TikTok intends on exhausting all legal avenues to challenge the bill.
President Joe Biden signed the legislation Wednesday — beginning a 270-day countdown for a sale or a US prohibition of the popular video-sharing platform.
Read more about the legislation: TikTok Ban Looms With Biden Poised to Start 270-Day Countdown
(Updates to note that Biden signed the legislation Wednesday.)
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