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TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have decided to fight back against a new US law, which says that TikTok has to be sold to an American company or else it will be banned. But TikTok thinks this law goes too far.
Last week, Congress passed a bill giving TikTok 270 days to find an American buyer. If they can’t sell in that time, TikTok would be banned from app stores in the US. TikTok and ByteDance don’t like this one bit. So, they just filed a lawsuit claiming this law is against the Constitution!
The companies argue that banning an entire social media platform just because it’s owned by a Chinese company is not right. TikTok says trying to sell such a huge company in under a year just isn’t realistic.
So what’s this all about? Some US politicians have concerns about TikTok because it’s owned in China. They worry the Chinese government could use the app to spy on Americans or influence what people see. Others think TikTok videos might favor China over other countries in times of conflict.
The White House does have some power here. They could give TikTok a little more time, like another 90 days, to try finding an American buyer if needed. But it seems TikTok wants to settle this in court instead.
