President Joe Biden signed a bill into law that will force China-based social media giant ByteDance to sell its popular app TikTok or face a ban in the United States. The White House emphasized that the intention is not to ban TikTok but to have it operate under a new American owner. However, concerns have been raised about the difficulty of separating TikTok from ByteDance due to their extensive entanglement.
Former TikTok employee Joel Carter stated that there is no mistake in equating ByteDance and TikTok, as employees from both companies have access to sensitive information about American TikTok users and celebrities. TikTok CEO Shou Chew released a video after the law was passed, stating that the ultimate goal of the bill is a ban on TikTok, despite claims otherwise by politicians. The company plans to challenge the legislation in court, citing violations of First Amendment rights.
The passage of the law targeting TikTok is expected to lead to a prolonged legal battle over the future of the app. TikTok executives expressed their determination to fight against the ban, with plans to challenge the legislation in court as it is considered unconstitutional. The potential divestiture of TikTok could pose a significant challenge, as finding a suitable buyer for the app may prove to be economically unrealistic.
Former National Security Agency general counsel Glenn Gerstell criticized the law passed by the White House and Congress, labeling it as bad public policy that may face challenges in the Supreme Court. Questions have been raised about the effectiveness of a TikTok ban in achieving national security goals, as evidenced by India’s ban on the app in 2020 which did not prevent ByteDance from retaining access to sensitive data. TikTok users have mobilized against the ban, utilizing hashtags and advocating for creator support.
TikTok creators have raised concerns about the ban, pointing out the perceived hypocrisy of the Biden campaign continuing to use the platform for outreach while supporting a ban. The potential impact on small businesses and the economy due to the ban on TikTok has also been highlighted. The future of TikTok and its operations remains uncertain as the company prepares for legal challenges and explores options for divestiture.
