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Appeals Court Denies TikTok's Bid; Ban Set for January 19 Unless ByteDance Divests

Dec 13, 2024, 11:02 PM

A U.S. federal appeals court has rejected TikTok's bid to temporarily block the Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, a law that could result in a ban of the app next month. The law, set to take effect on January 19, requires TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest its U.S. operations or face a nationwide ban. The Department of Justice argued that TikTok is downplaying national security concerns associated with its Chinese ownership. TikTok, used by 170 million Americans, plans to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, asserting that the law violates the First Amendment. Meanwhile, lawmakers from the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party have urged Apple and Google to prepare to remove TikTok from their app stores by the January deadline. The D.C. Circuit Court's decision brings TikTok one step closer to a potential ban, significantly impacting the platform's future in the U.S.