The TikTok customers within the US could not entry the favored video sharing app late Saturday night time because of the ban upheld by the Supreme Courtroom final week. Whereas the nation has over 170 million customers on TikTok, it has all the time been a subject of political debate over its Chinese language possession.
The US Supreme Courtroom upheld the ban on the app, simply days earlier than President-elect Donald Trump takes workplace on Monday. The outgoing administration of Joe Biden has put the ball within the court docket of its successor.
The app began working once more on Sunday after Trump stated he would signal an government order to ‘delay the ban’. However why was it banned within the first place?
Right here is why TikTok banned within the US
TikTok was banned within the US over nationwide safety considerations with a federal regulation that required its father or mother firm ByteDance to chop ties with the US operations.
The courts, together with the Supreme Courtroom, refused to overturn the regulation, thus successfully banning the app within the nation till ByteDance both sells the US operations or shuts it down for good.
“A regulation banning TikTok has been enacted within the US. Sadly, which means you may’t use TikTok for now,” the message to customers from TikTok learn.
The US lawmakers and officers have sounded the alarm for years in regards to the supposed dangers that TikTok’s ties to China pose to nationwide safety, and Congress moved final 12 months to drive TikTok’s Chinese language father or mother firm, ByteDance, to promote its stake within the app or be reduce off from the US market. The regulation gave the corporate a deadline of January 19.
With no signal of a sale in sight, TikTok’s last-ditch authorized problem failed on Friday when the Supreme Courtroom stated the regulation doesn’t violate the First Modification.
President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to “save” the app.
Officers within the US have repeatedly warned that TikTok threatens nationwide safety as a result of the Chinese language authorities may use it as a car to spy on Individuals or covertly affect the general public within the nation by amplifying or suppressing sure content material.
Although the divest-or-ban regulation handed with bipartisan assist, some lawmakers have been crucial of the measure, agreeing with TikTok that it infringes on Individuals’ free speech rights.
Others have modified their tune because the deadline for a ban neared, together with Trump, who tried to ban the app with an government order throughout his first time period that was struck down within the courts.