The Justice Department recently defended a law that could force the popular social media app TikTok to sell its US operations or face a ban. The law, which was passed by the Trump administration in August, requires TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest its US operations within 90 days.
The law was enacted amid concerns that TikTok poses a national security risk due to its ties to the Chinese government. The Trump administration argued that the Chinese government could use the app to collect sensitive information on US users and manipulate content to spread propaganda.
The Justice Department has now filed a motion in federal court to dismiss a lawsuit brought by TikTok challenging the law. In its motion, the Justice Department argued that the law was within the president’s authority to address national security threats and that TikTok had failed to show that the law violated its rights.
TikTok, which has over 100 million users in the US, has denied that it poses a national security risk and has accused the Trump administration of unfairly targeting the app. The company has also argued that the law is unconstitutional and violates its rights to due process and free speech.
The legal battle over TikTok’s future in the US is likely to continue for some time, with both sides digging in their heels. However, the Justice Department’s defense of the law is a significant development in the case and could have far-reaching implications for the future of TikTok in the US.
It remains to be seen how the court will ultimately rule on the law, but one thing is clear: the battle over TikTok is far from over. As the app’s fate hangs in the balance, millions of users are left wondering what the future holds for their favorite platform.