TikTok promises court battle as new law threatening ban is signed off by President Biden

24 April 2024, 04:34 | Updated: 24 April 2024, 22:48

TikTok has promised a court battle over a new law that threatens to ban it in the US - with the app's boss saying "we aren't going anywhere".

President Joe Biden approved the law that states the platform will be blocked if its Chinese owner, ByteDance, does not sell it within nine months.

US politicians are worried the company could share user data with the Chinese government, despite repeated assurances from TikTok that it would not.

The bill was approved by the Senate on Tuesday as part of a $95bn (£76.2bn) aid package for Ukraine and Israel.

Mr Biden signed it off early on Wednesday - with TikTok's boss swiftly hitting back in a video on the platform.

"Rest assured, we aren't going anywhere. The facts and the Constitution are on our side and we expect to prevail again," said chief executive Shou Zi Chew.

A statement by the company added: "This unconstitutional law is a TikTok ban, and we will challenge it in court.

"We believe the facts and the law are clearly on our side, and we will ultimately prevail."

The legal challenge could argue a ban would deprive the app's 170 million US users of their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech.

The law could also face opposition from TikTok creators who rely on it for their income, while China has previously said it would oppose a forced sale.

The use of TikTok by the federal government's nearly four million employees on devices owned by its agencies is already banned in the US.

However, there are limited exceptions for law enforcement, national security and security research purposes.

Read more from Sky News:
What does bill mean - and could same happen in the UK?
How 'TikTok idiots' are disrupting police investigations
TikTok CEO appeals to users to oppose potential US ban

Senate commerce committee chair Maria Cantwell said the move to force TikTok's sale was not aimed at "punishing" ByteDance, TikTok, or other companies.

"Congress is acting to prevent foreign adversaries from conducting espionage, surveillance, maligned operations, harming vulnerable Americans, our servicemen and women, and our US government personnel," she said.

(c) Sky News 2024: TikTok promises court battle as new law threatening ban is signed off by President Biden