TikTok CEO Shou Chew has announced that the company will be taking legal action to stay online in the United States, following President Joe Biden’s signing of a federal ban on Wednesday. The ban includes a nine-month delay, allowing TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, the option to sell the app rather than face a national ban.
In a two-minute video posted on TikTok’s main corporate account, Chew expressed confidence in the company’s ability to fight for its rights in court. He assured users that TikTok is not going anywhere and emphasized that they will continue to fight for their rights. The video received around 176,000 likes within an hour of being posted.
TikTok has a history of success in the court system when it comes to facing potential bans. In 2020, a federal judge blocked an attempt by former President Donald Trump to ban the app in the United States. More recently, in November, a federal judge ruled in favor of content creators who had sued to block a statewide ban on TikTok in Montana. The judge cited infringement on users’ constitutional rights as a reason for his decision.
The ongoing debate over the future of TikTok not only concerns free speech and social media but also tackles issues surrounding data security and content manipulation. Proponents of a ban raise concerns about the potential for Chinese ownership of the app to compromise user data security and enable Chinese espionage. It is also suggested that China could pressure TikTok to promote its foreign policy objectives by influencing what users see.
TikTok has addressed these concerns by storing data in the United States and refuting claims of promoting propaganda
