
A U.S. federal court has rejected TikTok's request for a temporary freeze on the law requiring its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app. In its request to delay the implementation of the law, TikTok noted its plan to appeal to the Supreme Court. The company's lawyers also cited the possibility that President-elect Donald Trump might choose a different approach, given his recent statements about the app.
A panel of three judges denied this request, stating that such a delay was "unjustified." The U.S. government's main concern with TikTok stems from its connection to the Chinese parent company, ByteDance, and the possibility that the data collected on American users might be accessed by the Chinese government.
TikTok collects extensive data, including geographical location, usage patterns, and technical information about devices. The federal government claims that this data may be transferred to the Chinese government, potentially threatening user privacy and even aiding in the development of AI systems.
The U.S. government is also concerned that the data collection might be used for spying, blackmail, or monitoring officials, military personnel, or other sensitive roles.