US Appeals Court Upholds Law Requiring TikTok Sale or Ban

A federal appeals court has upheld a law requiring TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, to either sell its assets to a non-Chinese company or face a ban in the United States, The Guardian reported yesterday. The ruling, announced on Friday, December 6, gives ByteDance until January 19, 2025, to comply. Judge Douglas Ginsburg highlighted that the potential loss of access for TikTok’s 170 million US users stems from national security concerns linked to China, rather than the actions of the US government.

TikTok argues that divesting is not feasible and plans to appeal to the Supreme Court, emphasizing the importance of free speech for its users. The law, part of a bipartisan effort, was signed by President Biden in April 2024 amid fears that the app could be used to access personal data and manipulate content. Civil rights groups have criticized the ban as censorship, advocating for broader privacy protections instead.