In a bold maneuver, TikTok has requested a federal appeals court to stop the Biden administration from enforcing a potentially catastrophic law that could result in a ban on the wildly popular app before it goes to the Supreme Court for a deeper dive. Isn’t it funny how the platform that helps millions share dance videos now finds itself in a legal tango?
Last week, a trio of judges on the same court decided to side with Uncle Sam, saying the law in question—which demands TikTok and its China-based parent company, ByteDance, make a choice: divest or face a ban as early as next month—is perfectly constitutional. It’s almost as if the judges were channeling their inner founding fathers, asserting that the dance trends of today should probably bow down to national security.
If these legal hurdles are not bounced out of the way, TikTok has boldly proclaimed that it will vanish into the digital ether by January 19, 2025. More than 170 million American users could find themselves abruptly cut off from their fix of choreographed routines and food hacks. Not exactly a fantastic scenario for tech enthusiasts or the social media market, which is now experiencing its own drama.
TikTok asked a federal appeals court on Monday to bar the Biden administration from enforcing a law that could lead to a ban on the popular platform until the Supreme Court reviews its challenge to the statute. https://t.co/3mf7C8tsim
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) December 9, 2024
Lawyers for TikTok and ByteDance argue that even a one-month shutdown could claw back around a third of TikTok’s daily users in the U.S. They also predict a 29% slide in their global advertising revenue, which is as distressing as watching a beloved sitcom get canceled. What’s worse, future talent might decide to take their skills to the competition, leaving TikTok looking like a ghost town devoid of creativity.
The legal eagles for the Chinese-owned app have suggested that a slight pause would allow the new administration time to do some soul-searching about its position on the matter. After all, the last thing anyone wants is for a popular social media platform to become a pawn in political chess—unless it’s a game that everyone is willing to watch from the sidelines. With some legal experts speculating that the Supreme Court might entertain this juicy case, it’s clear that the next moves in this saga might be just as riveting as any viral TikTok video.