18.01.2025 09:50
The social media company TikTok is set to become a victim of the economic competition between the U.S. and China. In the U.S., the Supreme Court approved a law that stipulates the ban of the social media platform TikTok if its China-based parent company ByteDance does not sell the U.S. version of the platform by Sunday.
A new development has occurred in the U.S. TikTok war. The U.S. Supreme Court has approved a law that foresees the banning of TikTok in the country. The court stated that the law does not violate freedom of expression rights and decided that the U.S. government has presented legitimate national security concerns regarding the Chinese company ByteDance, which owns the application. The law will come into effect on January 19. This means that TikTok must now find an approved buyer in the U.S., otherwise, it will be removed from app stores and internet service providers.
DONALD TRUMP MAY PRESS THE BUTTON
The White House announced that the responsibility for enforcing the law falls to the Donald Trump administration, which will take office on January 20. Trump had previously stated that he would find a way to save TikTok. Both Democratic and Republican members of Congress voted last year to ban the video-sharing application due to concerns about its connections to the Chinese government. TikTok has repeatedly stated that it does not share data with the Beijing administration. According to the law, the owner of the platform, ByteDance, is given until January 19 to sell TikTok to a neutral party to avoid a general ban.
WHAT HAPPENS IF IT IS NOT SOLD?
If the sale does not occur, Apple and Google will not be able to offer the application to new users. Additionally, no security updates will be made for existing members, which will ultimately render the application unusable. ByteDance had previously stated that it would not sell TikTok. The Supreme Court's decision that the law does not violate the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prevents government interference in freedom of expression, was approved without any dissenting notes. While the judges upheld the lower court's decision, the ruling stated, "There is no doubt that TikTok provides a different and broad space for expression, a means of communication, and a community resource for more than 170 million Americans. But Congress has determined that a sale is necessary to address national security concerns regarding TikTok's data collection practices and relationships with foreign adversaries."
FREEDOM OR SECURITY?
After the Supreme Court's decision, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that President Joe Biden's stance on TikTok has been clear for months. The spokesperson said, "TikTok should remain available for Americans. However, it should be under American ownership or a structure that addresses the national security concerns identified by Congress when making this law." However, Jean-Pierre noted that she understood that "due to the timing," the responsibility for enforcing the law would fall to the next administration, which will take office on Monday.
TRUMP: YOU'LL SEE WHAT I DO
Donald Trump stated in an interview with CNN, "Ultimately, it will come to me, and you will see what I do." Trump mentioned that he spoke with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on his social media platform Truth Social, and TikTok was also discussed. Trump had indicated last month that he was "warm" to the application as it helped him gain support from young voters. During his first presidency, he aimed to implement a similar ban through an executive order.
"TIKTOK COLLECTS USER DATA"
Cybersecurity companies say that TikTok has the capability to collect user data beyond what is displayed in the application. China had passed a law in 2017 requiring Chinese citizens living abroad to cooperate with the country's intelligence agencies. However, the Beijing administration denies allegations that it pressures companies to collect information for the government and criticizes the ban. TikTok has previously stated multiple times that it has not been asked for data.