Increased Likelihood of TikTok Ban in the U.S. Following Federal Court Ruling

On Friday, December 7, federal appeals court judges unanimously upheld the ruling to ban the Chinese app TikTok in the United States. The appeals court simultaneously rejected TikTok's management's request to overturn this law, emphasizing that under the law's requirements, TikTok must sever its ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, by mid-January or face a complete ban on its operations in the U.S. The court also dismissed TikTok's claim of a violation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In the ruling written by Judge Douglas Ginsburg, it stated: 'The First Amendment was created to protect freedom of speech in the United States. In TikTok's case, however, the government is acting solely to preserve this freedom against a hostile foreign country and to prevent the collection of data on the American people.' TikTok spokesperson Michael Hughes responded to the court's ruling, stating: 'Unfortunately, the ban on TikTok has been passed based on incorrect information and mistaken assumptions, which will lead to direct censorship of the American people.' He also warned that if this law is enforced, 'the voices of over 170 million American users both inside and outside the country will be silenced starting January 19, 2025.' TikTok and ByteDance are expected to file another appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. However, it is unclear whether the Supreme Court will review this case.