TikTok promises legal fight against US ban or forced sale amid legislative pressure

TikTok has vowed to challenge any ban or forced sale of its US operations in court following the passage of legislation by the House of Representatives targeting the viral video platform.

The bill, part of a broader foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, passed the House of Representatives on a 360-58 vote, adding to uncertainty about TikTok’s future in the US. Under the legislation, TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance must divest its stake in the US company or risk a ban.

In response, TikTok’s head of public policy for Americas, Michael Beckerman, informed staff in a memo that the company would challenge the bill in court, claiming its unconstitutionality. Beckerman cited violations of the First Amendment protecting free speech and vowed to fight for the rights of TikTok’s 170 million U.S. users.

This legal strategy mirrors a previous successful challenge against a state ban on TikTok. Last year, a district judge in Montana ruled that the state ban infringed on users’ free speech rights, highlighting the potential strength of TikTok’s legal argument.

TikTok continues to face scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers and officials in Western countries over concerns about data privacy and the possibility of the Chinese government gaining access to user data. Despite TikTok’s denials, critics argue that ByteDance could be forced to share data with Chinese security services under Chinese security laws.

The platform’s commitment to legal action underlines the escalating tensions between TikTok and US authorities, with the outcome of the legislative push likely to have significant implications for the platform’s future operations in the country.