This unconstitutional law is a TikTok ban, and we will challenge it in court
TikTok has said: This unconstitutional law is a TikTok ban, and we will challenge it in court... The fact is, we have invested billions of dollars to keep U.S. data safe and our platform free from outside influence and manipulation.
The legislation was introduced due to concerns that TikTok might share user data with the Chinese government, allegations the company has consistently denied.
"We are confident and will continue to defend your rights in the courts," said TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew. "The facts and the Constitution are on our side... rest assured, we are not going anywhere."
In a video shared on the platform, he criticized the bill and urged users to share their stories of how TikTok had positively impacted their lives.
"Make no mistake, this is a ban - a ban on TikTok, and a ban on you, and your voice," he stated.
In a separate statement, TikTok asserted that it believed "the facts and the law" were "clearly" in its favor.
"We have invested billions of dollars to keep U.S. data safe and our platform free from outside influence and manipulation," the statement read.
The measure was part of a package of four bills that also included military assistance for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and other U.S. partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
It received broad support from lawmakers, with 79 Senators voting in favor and 18 against.
"For years, we've allowed the Chinese Communist Party to control one of the most popular apps in America... that was dangerously short-sighted," stated Senator Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Intelligence Committee. "A new law is going to require its Chinese owner to sell the app. This is a good move for America."
TikTok has stated that ByteDance "is not an agent of China or any other country." ByteDance maintains that it is not a Chinese company, citing the global investment firms that own 60% of it.
Experts have described the bill as "significant" but caution that it faces numerous obstacles.
Legal challenges, potentially up to the Supreme Court, could delay the app's blocking for several years.
In November, a U.S. federal judge in Montana blocked an attempt to ban TikTok within the state.
The app's popularity among young Americans could also pose challenges.
"About two in three young people in the U.S. have a TikTok account," said Andrew Przybylski, professor of human behavior and technology at Oxford University. "The primary challenge will be on freedom of speech and expression."
Jennifer Huddleston from the Cato Institute in Washington noted that any sale might be delayed due to the "considerable" regulatory scrutiny it would face.
"Nine months is a rather quick timeframe for this size of a transaction - it's something that is likely to have further regulatory scrutiny even without the requirements in this proposal," she said. "The question remains - what does it mean to even sell TikTok in the U.S., is that truly possible, and what would a buyer look like?"
The potential buyers for TikTok are limited, given that the price would likely be in the tens of billions of dollars.