TikTok Asks US Court to Intervene as Trump Order to Shut Down Operations Looms

Trump had cited concerns that the Chinese government could spy on TikTok users if the app remains under Chinese ownership.

By Associated Press | Updated: 12 November 2020 10:12 IST

TikTok Asks US Court to Intervene as Trump Order to Shut Down Operations Looms

TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, has until Thursday to sell off its US operations

Highlights

Trump in September gave his tentative blessing to a TikTok-Oracle deal
The deal has been under a national-security review by the CFIUS
TikTok is now looking to the US Court of Appeals to review Trump's order

The popular video-sharing app TikTok, its future in limbo since President Donald Trump tried to shut it down earlier this fall, is asking a federal court to intervene.

TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, has until Thursday to sell off its US operations under an executive order that Trump signed in August.

Trump in September gave his tentative blessing to a ByteDance proposal meant to resolve US national security concerns by placing TikTok under the oversight of American companies Oracle and Walmart, each of which would also have a financial stake in the company. But TikTok said this week it's received “no clarity” from the US government about whether its proposals have been accepted.

US Judge Unsure if He Has Grounds to Issue New TikTok Injunction

The deal has been under a national-security review by the interagency Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, which is led by the Treasury Department. The department “remains focused" on resolving the alleged national security risks posed by TikTok, a Treasury spokeswoman said in a statement Wednesday evening.

"With the November 12 CFIUS deadline imminent and without an extension in hand, we have no choice but to file a petition in court to defend our rights and those of our more than 1,500 employees in the US,” TikTok said in a written statement Tuesday.

Trump has cited concerns that the Chinese government could spy on TikTok users if the app remains under Chinese ownership. TikTok has denied it's a security threat but said it's still trying to work with the administration to resolve its concerns.

US Says Will 'Vigorously Defend' TikTok Ban Order After Court Blocks It

The legal challenge is "a protection to ensure these discussions can take place,” the company said.

The Trump administration had earlier sought to ban the app from smartphone app stores and deprive it of vital technical services, but federal judges have so far blocked those actions.

TikTok is now looking to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to review Trump's divestment order and the government's national-security review.

Which is the best TV under Rs. 25,000? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.