ByteDance: sale or ban is not a choice
US President Biden signed the law two weeks ago. As a result, Bytedance and TikTok are faced with a choice: sell to an American owner or risk a ban. But according to them, that is not a real choice. The company claims that it is not possible to sell TikTok.
The company says there would be all kinds of obstacles. Commercial, technical, but also legal. These cannot be solved. Certainly not within the 270 days the company was given, according to ByteDance.
Concerns about Chinese espionage and influence
American politicians see the app as a risk to national security. They are afraid that China can knock on ByteDance’s door and view data. As a result, data of American citizens would end up in the hands of China.
But even more important: China could use TikTok to influence the American elections.
That danger is no longer an issue if the app is American property, or so the assumption is. So the new law prescribes that Apple and Google app stores are no longer allowed to offer the app if the company has not come into American hands before January 19, 2025.
TikTok denies, law threatens freedom of expression
TikTok denies that it shares usage data and believes there is speculation. They warn that other apps and news media publishers are now also at risk of an imposed sale or ban.
American politicians could use the law to circumvent the protection of freedom of expression by designating a platform as a risk to national security, TikTok said.
