Chinese-controlled TikTok is on the Chopping Block

What’s happening: At present, TikTok will be banned from US app stores or accessed on internet browsers on January 19. However, those who already have the app downloaded to their phone will still be allowed to use it.

Catch up: President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan law last year requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s owner, to fully divest from the company. ByteDance challenged that law in court; while an appeals court upheld the law, the Supreme Court agreed to take up the case.

Up to SCOTUS: The Supreme Court appears ready to uphold the ban. During oral arguments on Friday, both liberal and conservative justices were skeptical of TikTok’s claims that a ban from US app stores violates its First Amendment rights.

Surprising help: TikTok is now being supported by President-elect Donald Trump, who asked the Supreme Court to temporarily halt the ban so that he could negotiate a compromise once in office.

Flashback: As president, Trump signed an executive order to force ByteDance to divest from TikTok, but Biden rescinded that order upon taking office. Now, both men have seemingly reversed their positions.

Eager buyers: Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary said he has nearly gathered enough investors to buy TikTok from ByteDance. But O’Leary says he’d need Trump to help him finalize the sale — which would require the Supreme Court to pause the law before January 19. It would also need ByteDance to sign off.

Why it matters: TikTok is used by at least one-third of adults and over half of teens, which means banning it would eliminate a communications platform used by millions. It would also remove a powerful Chinese Communist tool: TikTok admitted to storing Americans’ data in China, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle recognize the serious national security implications the app poses.

In the media

From the left: Slate argued that Donald Trump was “the only person who can save TikTok” and said there was no evidence that TikTok was a national security threat. Meanwhile, CNN reported that TikTok was trying to convince the Supreme Court that banning it would violate freedom of speech.

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sharon smith1 year ago

Yeh, RIGHT! China can deny, deny, deny all it wants, but I hope most of conscious and 'thinking' Americans can see through that subterfuge. China will use anything and everything it can to achieve its goals and bringing us down might just be high on that 'bucket list'. Although I can't understand why that is so important to other countries in the world, since we have so much invested in them and are well-known for our support of their various causes. It seems to me that bringing us down would be of no help to the world-at-large at all. In fact, it would damage whatever peace we still have.

Jonathan Horen1 year ago

Before we, or rather than, look at China for this "subterfuge", I'd suggest looking inward... at our own US agencies that spy on American citizens, by listening-in on our telephone calls and our Internet communications. FISA warrants are as good as warrant-less. To hell with China -- it's HERE that worries me (and many, many others).

Jan Casady1 year ago

My thoughts are about Ari David's thoughts. Zuckerberg is a coward. If he truly believed in Free Speech, why didn't he stand up when he should have? My thoughts are why believe him now? He follows the prevailing wind.

Joy Carlson1 year ago

TikTok scares me. But a ban scares me more. Government sanctioned censorship is never a good thing. This "ban" only prevents new users from downloading the app. It does nothing about those who already have it. If it's a national security threat, abd not just a government power grab, why isn't access denied for current users?

Bill Roberts1 year ago

Even if the sale goes through and Bytedance is forced to divest TikTok you can bet the CCP will have their hackers build in back doors to the app that they can still harvest information on consumers. The app needs to go away. It’s evil.