TikTok Is Now One Step Closer To Being Banned in the United States

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As someone who has grown up with the digital age and witnessed the rise of social media platforms, I find myself deeply concerned about the potential ban of TikTok in the US. Having used this app for entertainment, inspiration, and even education, I can’t help but feel that a blanket ban would be a significant blow to freedom of expression, not only for myself but for millions of Americans who use it daily.

In the U.S., a federal appeals court has held its ground against TikTok’s efforts to prevent a nationwide ban. The court supported a long-debated law, where U.S. legislators have been pushing for ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell off its American operations.

Regardless of the fact that over 150 million Americans use it, legislators in the U.S. have persistently attempted to outlaw this platform for several years.

Will TikTok Be Banned in the US?

The basis for this situation arises from repeated assertions by the U.S. that ByteDance and TikTok have connections with the Chinese government, a claim that ByteDance has refuted multiple times.

On the decision, Judge Douglas Ginsburg said:

Instead of relying on TikTok for communication, millions of its users may need to explore other platforms due to China’s mixed business threat to U.S. national security. This predicament is not the result of any actions taken by the U.S. government; rather, it has been a prolonged process of dialogue between the U.S. and TikTok in search of an alternative resolution.

The court emphasized that the law aimed at prohibiting the app under consideration represents the culmination of extensive, bipartisan efforts by Congress and multiple presidents. This legislation was meticulously designed to address solely the issue of control by a foreign adversary. It forms part of an overall strategy to counter the significant national security threat posed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC), a threat that has been thoroughly substantiated.

TikTok appears to have influential ties with U.S. military personnel, as suggested by recent developments. In a released statement, Patrick Toomey, Deputy Director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Security division, expressed this concern.

Prohibiting TikTok directly infringes upon the First Amendment freedoms of expression for countless American users, as they utilize the platform to share their thoughts and connect globally.

Currently, ByteDance must either sell or divest TikTok’s U.S. assets by January 19, otherwise a nationwide ban could take effect. It’s possible that President Biden may extend this deadline, and ByteDance has taken steps to contest the court of appeals’ decision in the Supreme Court, but the outcome remains uncertain.

During the build-up to his victorious presidential campaign, Donald Trump declared that he would oppose the ban – four years after attempting to close down the application process within the U.S. himself. Yet, should no extension be granted and the Supreme Court declines intervention, Donald Trump will have left office before the deadline, making his support for this issue irrelevant.

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2024-12-06 21:17