Forbes StaffThe app is fighting a US law that could ban it unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sells the app.
TikTok is among the most used social media platforms worldwide, including the US. The app is fighting a US law that could ban it unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sells it. The app argued in court that this law would severely limit free speech for its 170 million American users.
The US government is concerned about TikTok exposing American user data to China.
The US government is concerned about TikTok exposing American user data to China; however, TikTok and ByteDance deny any connection with the Chinese government. TikTok’s lawyer, Andrew Pincus, argued in court that the law is unfair because it assumes future risks without evidence that anything wrong happened. He explained that ByteDance is a Cayman Islands company that China does not own. However, a judge pointed out that Chinese control could still influence the app. TikTok argued that it would be impossible to sell its US operations.
Setting a bad example.
Supporters of free speech say that enforcing the law could set a bad example for other countries with less freedom. They argue it might inspire repressive governments to restrict the access to information of their own citizens.
Experts are divided on this case. Some think the law is strong enough to hold up in court, while a few others believe that TikTok might win the argument about free speech. However, if the courts don’t side with TikTok, it might be forced to shut down in the US.
