TikTok, owned by Chinese language firm ByteDance, went darkish on Saturday however got here again on-line Sunday.
Home Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) mentioned that he plans to uphold the divest-or-ban legislation on TikTok because the Chinese language-owned social media platform went darkish on Saturday night.
On Sunday, Johnson spoke to NBC Information’ “Meet the Press” and weighed in on TikTok’s choice in addition to feedback made by incoming President-elect Donald Trump that he would situation an govt order on the matter shortly after taking workplace on Monday.
Final 12 months, members of Congress handed the ban on TikTok, owned by Chinese language firm ByteDance, over issues that the platform is accumulating delicate knowledge and data on People. The legislation required that ByteDance, which has lengthy had an inner Chinese language Communist Get together committee with its personal secretary, divest from TikTok inside 270 days of the legislation being handed, which was Jan. 19.
“It’s not the platform that members of Congress are involved about,” Johnson advised the outlet. “It’s the Chinese language Communist Get together.”
Additionally early Sunday, the president-elect that he would situation an govt order upon taking workplace Monday that can “lengthen the time period earlier than the legislation’s prohibitions take impact, in order that we are able to make a deal to guard our nationwide safety.”
In his first administration, Trump had known as for the ban on TikTok due to the chance it poses to People’ privateness and nationwide safety however has not too long ago modified his tune. Trump has credited the app for serving to him win the 2024 election.
At oral arguments on Jan. 10, TikTok’s lawyer, Noel Francisco, advised the justices that TikTok would “go darkish” in the USA if the corporate didn’t prevail in its problem to the legislation.
In oral arguments this month, Francisco mentioned the app is without doubt one of the hottest speech platforms for People and mentioned it might primarily shut down on Jan. 19 with out divestiture.
Additionally, Francisco mentioned that the true goal of the legislation “is the speech itself … this concern that People, even when absolutely knowledgeable, might be persuaded by Chinese language misinformation. That, nonetheless, is a call that the First Modification leaves to the individuals.”
Nevertheless, the justices weren’t swayed and upheld the ban unanimously. They agreed that the legislation is meant to dam makes an attempt by the Chinese language Communist Get together to gather intelligence on People.
On Saturday night, TikTok voluntarily shut down its platform, hours earlier than the legislation took impact. The legislation stipulates that ByteDance should divest from TikTok or be lower off from app shops inside the USA. It doesn’t preclude customers from having it on their units.