TikTok promised on Wednesday to contest a law that might ban the well-liked social media app in the US.
“We will challenge this unconstitutional law in court as it amounts to a TikTok ban,” stated a spokesperson. “We are confident that we have strong legal grounds and believe we will win in the end.”
President Biden signed a law on Wednesday which mandates TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app or face a ban on US devices and networks.
The provision was part of a $95 billion foreign aid package that allocated additional funding for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
While a previous version of the legislation faced opposition in the Senate, the updated measure easily passed through the upper chamber on Tuesday as part of the foreign aid package.
The bill was amended to give ByteDance up to a year, instead of six months, to sell TikTok, easing concerns raised by critics such as Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.).
Supporters argue that the law is necessary to address national security and data privacy risks associated with the app, while critics, including TikTok, argue that it raises concerns regarding free speech.
“The reality is, we have invested significant amounts to protect US data and keep our platform free from external influence and manipulation,” stated the TikTok spokesperson. “This ban would harm seven million businesses and silence 170 million Americans.
“While we work to oppose this unconstitutional ban, we will continue to invest and innovate to ensure that TikTok remains a space where people from all backgrounds can safely share their experiences, find joy, and be inspired,” they added.
