TikTok’s effort to stop a law that would force it to sell or get banned in the U.S. has been denied by a court. The social media company argued that the law would harm free speech for its 170 million U.S. users.
However, the court backed the law, saying it was part of a long effort by both Congress and past presidents to address national security concerns about TikTok’s Chinese ownership, something the company denies.
TikTok has now decided to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The U.S. government has claimed that TikTok poses a risk because of its connection to China, even though TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, deny these ties.
The court agreed that the law was designed to address national security issues linked to foreign influence, but TikTok is still fighting the decision.
The app’s supporters, including creators and small business owners, are concerned that a ban would hurt their livelihoods.
Some users are not shocked by the ruling and plan to stick with TikTok rather than switch to other platforms like Instagram, which is trying to copy TikTok’s video format.
Meanwhile, companies like Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, are getting ready for the possibility of a TikTok ban by creating similar features in their apps.
However, experts believe that banning TikTok would disrupt the social media landscape, benefiting other companies like Meta, YouTube, and Snap, but hurting content creators and small businesses.
Some worry about the growing power of big tech companies, like Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter), which has been criticized for changing its algorithms to favor certain voices.
This legal battle highlights the deep concerns about social media, data security, and government control over digital platforms.
While some support the government’s push for a ban due to national security fears, others see it as a move against free speech and the digital economy. BBC reports that TikTok’s fight is far from over.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2ldnq5095xo