Now, TikTok will sue Trump administration: Here's why
After weeks of speculation and rumors, TikTok has finally confirmed its plan to sue the Trump administration. The action will reportedly challenge the executive order that President Donald Trump has signed to pressure TikTok's parent ByteDance into selling its US business of the video-sharing platform, with the American government taking a cut out of the deal. Here's all you need to know about it.
Trump signed two executive orders restraining ByteDance
Over concerns of data and national security, Trump recently signed two executive orders restraining the video service and its parent. The first one blocks ByteDance from conducting business with any American entity starting September 20, while the second gives a window until November 12 to divest TikTok's US assets to an American giant and subsequently delete all user data or close the company.
The second EO has pushed TikTok over the edge
TikTok was said to be considering legal action after the first executive order was issued, but the company had remained silent. However, when the second one also came, the short-video giant reportedly found no other option but to challenge the decision in court. The lawsuit has not been filed yet but is imminent, a company spokesperson confirmed to The Verge.
'We engaged for a year to provide a constructive solution'
"Even though we strongly disagree with the administration's concerns, for nearly a year we have sought to engage in good faith to provide a constructive solution," TikTok spokesman Josh Gartner told The Verge.
'Lack of due process'
The spokesperson added that TikTok encountered "a lack of due process as the administration paid no attention to facts and tried to insert itself into negotiations between private businesses." "To ensure that the rule of law is not discarded and that our company and users are treated fairly, we have no choice but to challenge the Executive Order through the judicial system," he emphasized.
TikTok's fate still remains unclear
That said, with the lawsuit and everything else going on, questions still loom over the fate of TikTok US. Depending on how the lawsuit and negotiations pan out, the company could either leave the market where it boasts 100 million+ users or end up being acquired by an American conglomerate. So far, Microsoft, Twitter, and Oracle have been suggested to be exploring TikTok's acquisition.
