TikTok is facing intense scrutiny from a U.S. federal appeals court over a law that could ban the app in the U.S. by January 2024 unless its parent company, ByteDance, divests its U.S. operations.
The U.S. government argues that TikTok poses a national security risk, citing concerns that the Chinese government could potentially access personal data from American users and manipulate the content shared on the platform.
TikTok’s legal team, however, contends that the ban violates free speech rights, with the case’s outcome—expected by the end of the year—likely to have a significant impact on millions of users and political campaigns.
On Monday, TikTok and ByteDance urged the court to block the law, arguing it infringes upon free speech protections. However, the judges raised difficult questions during the proceedings.
A three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia heard the case, which stems from a lawsuit filed by TikTok and ByteDance in May to prevent the law from being enforced.