TikTok admits US ban is inevitable if court doesn’t block law

TikTok and Chinese parent ByteDance on Thursday urged a US court to strike down a law they say will ban the popular short app on Jan. 19, saying the US government refused to engage in any serious settlement talks after 2022.

Legislation signed in April by President Biden gives ByteDance until Jan. 19 of next year to divest TikTok’s US assets or face a ban on the app used by 170 million Americans.

ByteDance says a divestiture is “not possible technologically, commercially, or legally.”

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia will hold oral arguments on lawsuits filed by TikTok and ByteDance along with TikTok users on Sept. 16. 

TikTok’s future in the US may rest on the outcome of the case which could impact how the government uses its new authority to clamp down on foreign-owned apps.

“This law is a radical departure from this country’s tradition of championing an open Internet, and sets a dangerous precedent allowing the political branches to target a disfavored speech platform and force it to sell or be shut down,” ByteDance and TikTok argue in asking the court to strike down the law.