In a move that could potentially upend the social media landscape, President Joe Biden signed a bill on April 24, 2024, that would ban TikTok from operating in the United States if its parent company, ByteDance, fails to sell the platform to a US-based buyer within a year.
The bill, which gives ByteDance a nine-month to one-year deadline to find a buyer, has sparked a legal battle between TikTok and the US government. TikTok has sued the government, arguing that the law is unconstitutional and would unfairly restrict American's access to a unique online community with over 1 billion users worldwide.
The US government, however, maintains that the Chinese government could use TikTok's data collection and algorithm manipulation to influence US elections, posing a national security risk.
The court is set to hear oral arguments in the case on September 16, just months before the January 19, 2025, deadline for ByteDance to divest or face a ban.
As the clock ticks down, TikTok's future in the US hangs precariously in the balance, leaving millions of users wondering if they will be able to continue using the popular app.
