TikTok has announced it plans to sue the US government over a new law that would ban the app nationwide unless ByteDance, its Chinese parent company, divests itself from the app., TikTok called the newly passed act an"extraordinary intrusion on free speech rights" of its 170 million American users. It says the act is based on"speculative concerns" with little basis in fact, and it has asked the DC Circuit Court of Appeals to block the ban.
ByteDance, TikTok's parent company said it has no plans to sell the business, setting up the very real possibility that TikTok will be banned in the US. The Chinese government believes the US law is"bullying" and said it would oppose a sale anyway, which makes one wonder whether ByteDance could divest itself from TikTok even if it wanted to.
It's not the only government with concerns either. TikTok is banned from government devices in several European countries, a majority of US states, and Canada. Australia is weighing up similar bans, and it's completely banned in India.Sign up to get the best content of the week, and great gaming deals, as picked by the editors.