TikTok ban bill appeal fails: When will ban come into effect?
The legislation, signed into law by President Biden on April 24, 2024, gives ByteDance nine months to divest TikTok and courts are unwilling to overturn.
A federal appeals court unanimously upheld the legislation requiring TikTok to sever ties with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or face a ba
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejected TikTok’s arguments that the law violated the First Amendment and unfairly targeted the platform. The court stated that the legislation was “meticulously designed to address only the influence of a foreign adversary” and was part of a broader effort to combat national security risks
If the company fails to find a U.S.-based buyer or win its case at the Supreme Court, the ban could be implemented as early as January 19, 2025.
TikTok is expected to challenge the statute in court, which could effectively pause the ban during judicial review. If the case reaches the Supreme Court, it could potentially delay the ban’s implementation until 2026.
What would happen with TikTok if it is banned?
Were the proposed law to come into effect and ByteDance refuses to sell TikTok, the social media app wouldn’t disappear from its 170 million users’ devices.
Users would no longer be able to download updates for the app, since Apple and Google would be barred from supplying them. That would mean over time TikTok would function more slowly, become buggy and eventually unusable. Basically, a death by a thousand cuts for TikTok over time.
Could you use a VPN to access TikTok? There are always cracks in any wall, however, using a virtual private network (VPN) may not be a sure-fire way to keep using TikTok for American users. Douglas Schmidt, an engineering professor at Vanderbilt told CNBC that “There will almost always be ways around this. It would just be a lot more difficult for the average person to do it without getting an advanced degree in computer security or something.”
Furthermore, Gerald Kasulis, a vice president at NordVPN, told the media outlet that technology exists which can detect users trying to access an app via a VPN. Not to mention that a user’s location would be discovered when app store credentials to download upgrades were asked for.
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.