A US appeal court is set to hear oral arguments on September 16 regarding legal challenges against a new law that requires China-based ByteDance to divest TikTok’s US assets by January 19 or face a ban. The law, signed by President Joe Biden on April 24, aims to end Chinese-based ownership of TikTok on national security grounds.
A group of TikTok creators, along with TikTok and ByteDance, have filed legal challenges against the law, with briefs due by Thursday. The fate of TikTok could impact the final weeks of the 2024 presidential election, with Republican candidate Donald Trump expressing concerns about a potential ban.
The law prohibits app stores like Apple and Google from offering TikTok and bars internet hosting services from supporting TikTok unless it is divested by ByteDance. The measure was passed overwhelmingly in Congress amid fears of China accessing American data through the app.