A federal appeals court has unanimously upheld the TikTok ban signed into law by President Biden earlier this year. The law mandates Chinese company ByteDance to sell TikTok by January 19, 2025, or face a nationwide ban in the United States.

The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington D.C. dismissed TikTok's claims that the law violates First Amendment rights of American users. TikTok plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Key Points of the Ban:

• If ByteDance fails to sell TikTok by January 19, 2025, app stores must remove the application
• New sign-ups would be prevented, though impact on existing users remains unclear
• The court found "persuasive evidence" that the law protects national security
• TikTok "never squarely denies" manipulating content at the Chinese Communist Party's direction

Background:

• U.S. military banned TikTok from government devices in 2019
• Congress followed with bans in both House and Senate
• Chinese law requires companies to share information with the CCP when requested
• President-elect Trump, who initially pursued a TikTok ban, has promised not to ban the platform during his second term
• The ban takes effect one day before Trump assumes office

The court's decision marks a significant development in the ongoing debate over TikTok's presence in the United States, with national security concerns remaining at the forefront of the discussion.

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