Tiktok sends urgent petition 'calling for help' to survive in the US

In a last-ditch effort to continue operating in the United States, TikTok has asked the Supreme Court to temporarily block legislation that would force its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest from TikTok by January 19 or face a ban, Reuters reported.

Accordingly, on December 16 (local time), TikTok and ByteDance filed an emergency petition with the US Supreme Court to request a temporary injunction to temporarily halt the implementation of the law banning this social network with about 170 million users in the US. TikTok also objected to the ruling made by a lower court earlier.

In April, the US Justice Department assessed that TikTok, as a Chinese company, posed a “profound and massive national security threat” because of its access to vast amounts of US user data, from location to private messages, and the ability to secretly manipulate the content Americans viewed on the app.

On December 6, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in Washington rejected TikTok's argument that the law violated the right to free speech under the First Amendment of the US Constitution.

TikTok faces ban in the US. (Photo: Reuters)

In a filing to the US Supreme Court on December 16, TikTok and ByteDance argued: "If Americans - who are fully informed of the alleged risks of 'hidden' content manipulation - choose to continue viewing content on TikTok with their eyes wide open, then the First Amendment gives them that choice, free from government censorship.

And if the District of Columbia Circuit's contrary ruling is upheld, Congress would have full authority to ban speech by any American simply by determining some risk that the speech is influenced by a foreign entity."

The companies say a shutdown of even a month would cost TikTok about a third of its U.S. users and undermine its ability to attract advertisers and recruit talented creators and employees.

The platform, which has more than 170 million users in the US, has said there is no potential threat to US national security and that the delay in implementing the law will allow the Supreme Court to review the ban's legality, as well as the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump to assess the law.

Trump unsuccessfully tried to ban TikTok during his first term in 2020. He has since reversed his stance and pledged during this year's presidential race to try to save TikTok.

Mr. Trump takes office on January 20, 2024, one day after the deadline imposed by the law on TikTok.

TikTok wants the US Supreme Court to make a decision by January 6, 2025.

The incident comes amid growing trade tensions between China and the United States, the world's two largest economies.

In 2020, Mr Trump tried to ban WeChat, owned by Chinese company Tencent, but was blocked by the courts.

Hoa Vu (Source: Reuters)

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