Time is ticking for TikTok.
The social media app has just three days to comply with the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, a law forcing it to divest from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
If ByteDance refuses to sell, and the Supreme Court declines to temporarily block the law, TikTok will shut down in the U.S. on Sunday.
The Act, which President Biden signed into law in April 2024, addresses bipartisan concerns that TikTok threatens U.S. security. Chinese law requires all Chinese-owned companies, including ByteDance, to make their data available to the government. That means the PRC has access to the data TikTok collects on all 170 million American users, including their names, ages, emails, phone numbers, contact lists, in-app messages, IP addresses, keystroke and in-app usage patterns, browsing and search history, location data and biometric identifiers.
China uses this data to expand its massive U.S. intelligence gathering operation. Casey Blackburn, the Assistant Director of U.S. National Intelligence, told the D.C. Circuit Court last month,
These threats, Blackburn continued, include “extensive, years-long efforts to accumulate structured datasets, in particular on U.S. persons, to support its intelligence and counterintelligence operations.”
TikTok spent 2024 in court trying to get the Act declared unconstitutional, but testimony like Blackburn’s proved too convincing to overcome. The D.C. Court affirmed a lower court ruling finding the Act constitutional, writing:
TikTok has asked the Supreme Court to temporarily stop the law’s enforcement so it can appeal to the Supreme Court or the benevolence of the incoming administration. President-elect Donald Trump will be inaugurated one day after the January 19 shutdown date.
The Court is expected to weigh in by Sunday.
TikTok poses more than just a national security threat; Thirteen states and the District of Columbia are suing the company for the unethical treatment of children. But ahead of the looming deadline, many former TikTok critics have thrown their weight behind finding TikTok an American buyer — including the President-elect.
Politico reports TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will attend Mr. Trump’s inauguration on January 20. On the other side of the aisle, President Biden is considering using an executive order to extend the Act’s deadline, Forbes reports.
Caitlin Legacki, a former member of the Biden Commerce Department, broke down the situation for Politico:
It’s difficult to predict what will happen this Sunday, but one thing won’t change — TikTok isn’t good for children. Check out the articles below to learn how you protect your kids from social media.
Additional Articles and Resources
TikTok Scrambles Amid Looming Ban
Plugged In Parent’s Guide to Today’s Technology equips parents to navigate the ever-shifting tech realm.
TikTok Dangerous for Minors — Leaked Docs Show Company Refuses to Protect Kids
Teen Boys Falling Prey to Financial Sextortion — Here’s What Parents Can Do
Instagram’s Sextortion Safety Measures — Too Little, Too Late?
Kid’s Online Safety Act — What It Is and Why It’s a Big Deal
Instagram Content Restrictions Don’t Work, Tests Show
Zuckerberg Implicated in Meta’s Failures to Protect Children
Surgeon General Recommends Warning on Social Media Platforms
‘The Dirty Dozen List’ — Corporations Enable and Profit from Sexual Exploitation
Four Ways to Protect Your Kids from Bad Tech, From Social Psychologist Jonathan Haidt
Parent-Run Groups Help Stop Childhood Smartphone Use
Survey Finds Teens Use Social Media More Than Four Hours Per Day — Here’s What Parents Can Do
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