Court ruling upholds TikTok ban unless ByteDance sells stake

Saturday, December 7, 2024 

On Friday, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled to uphold a ban on the social media platform TikTok, if its China-based parent firm ByteDance refuses to sell its stake in the company.

US national security officials and policymakers have expressed suspicion towards TikTok and its association with the Chinese Communist Party, alleging that the state could potentially use the app to compromise the privacy of American users, as well as to game the app's algorithm to influence public opinion among US citizens.

China has long been reluctant to allow TikTok to be sold by force.

On behalf of TikTok, spokesperson Michael Hughes stated that the company intends to appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States, and expects the decision to be overturned. Hughes asserted that the decision was based on "inaccurate, flawed and hypothetical information" and voiced concern that the ruling "will silence the voices of over 170 million Americans."

The ruling, which was unanimously made by a panel of three judges, rejected the notion that the TikTok ban violated the free speech rights of American users, and that the ban complies with constitutional law. The court argued that due to TikTok's "expansive reach," that the ban is necessary to secure national security of the country.

The US Justice Department commended the ruling.

President-elect Donald Trump has expressed intentions to attempt to save the app, after having previously advocated for the ban himself.