Federal Appeals Court Rules TikTok Must Divest

A federal appeals court has upheld a law requiring TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or face a ban in the U.S. by January 19, 2025, citing national security concerns over user data potentially being accessed by the Chinese government. The court rejected TikTok's argument that the law violated First Amendment rights, highlighting that the government's actions aim to protect American freedoms from foreign adversaries. TikTok plans to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, asserting that the ban is based on flawed and speculative information. The ruling emphasizes growing bipartisan concerns regarding the app's data practices, with over 170 million Americans using the platform. If TikTok fails to find a new owner, app stores will be required to cease support, effectively removing the app from U.S. users. As the deadline approaches, the implications for TikTok and its users remain significant, raising alarms about potential censorship.