U.S. COURT DENIES TIKTOK’S FREEZE REQUEST

On 12/13 a federal appeals court denied TikTok's request to pause enforcement of a law requiring its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app or face a U.S. ban starting 1/19.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that TikTok failed to justify blocking the law while the company seeks Supreme Court review.

Passed earlier this year due to national security concerns, the law prohibits ByteDance from maintaining ownership of TikTok in the U.S. TikTok argues that the law violates users' First Amendment rights and claims a sale would be difficult due to restrictions imposed by the Chinese government. A spokesperson said the law would “silence” millions of voices.

The law also requires app stores like Apple and Google to stop offering TikTok if ByteDance does not divest itself of the platform.

The Supreme Court is expected to decide soon whether to intervene.