Should TikTok users be worried about the future of the video sharing app? Rumors have been swirling about whether or not fans will be able to continue sharing videos on the app for weeks now, especially after President Donald Trump revealed that he wanted to shut it down.
U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols blocked the ban on downloading TikTok in a ruling issues on September 27, according to The Washington Post. Previously, the United States Department of Commerce released a statement on September 18 saying that it would ban Americans from downloading TikTok starting September 20. The statement was a response to the executive order issued on August 6, which gave the app’s parent company, ByteDance, 45 days to sell the the app in the U.S.
“The only real change as of Sunday night will be users won’t have access to improved updated apps, upgraded apps or maintenance,” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said during an interview with Fox Business Network on September 18. “The basic TikTok will stay intact until November 12. If there’s not a deal by November 12 under the provisions of the old order, then TikTok would also be, for all practical purposes, shut down.”
This news comes days after Oracle confirmed, in a statement to CNBC issued on September 14, that they struck a deal with TikTok’s parent company to buy the app, but it still needs U.S. government approval.
“Oracle confirms Secretary [Steven T.] Mnuchin’s statement that it is part of the proposal submitted by ByteDance to the Treasury Department over the weekend in which Oracle will serve as the trusted technology provider,” the statement read.
TikTok uploaded a statement on August 24 stating that they have “always focused on transparency” and wanted to explain why they decided to sue the Trump Administration following his executive order to ban the app from the United States.
“Today we are filing a complaint in federal court challenging the Administration’s efforts to ban TikTok in the US,” the statement on the company’s site read. “The Executive Order issued by the Administration on August 6, 2020 has the potential to strip the rights of that community without any evidence to justify such an extreme action, and without any due process. We strongly disagree with the Administration’s position that TikTok is a national security threat and we have articulated these objections previously.”
The video sharing app went on to explain that millions of Americans “turn to TikTok for entertainment, inspiration, and connection; countless creators rely on our platform to express their creativity, reach broad audiences, and generate income; our more than 1,500 employees across the US pour their hearts into building this platform every day.”
They added, “We do not take suing the government lightly, however we feel we have no choice but to take action to protect our rights, and the rights of our community and employees.”
In their complaint, TikTok said they made it clear that “we believe the Administration ignored our extensive efforts to address its concerns” and claimed they “ignored the great lengths that TikTok has gone to in order to demonstrate our commitment to serving the US market.”
“With the Executive Order threatening to bring a ban on our US operations — eliminating the creation of 10,000 American jobs and irreparably harming the millions of Americans who turn to this app for entertainment, connection, and legitimate livelihoods that are vital especially during the pandemic — we simply have no choice.We will continue the work we have long been undertaking to earn the trust of our full US community,” they added.
TikTok concluded with, “Our legal challenge is a protection to ensure that these efforts can take place without the threat of an unwarranted ban hovering like a dark cloud over the joy and creativity of our community.”
According to NPR, The White House did not comment on the lawsuit, but spokesman Judd Deere previously said they are “committed to protecting the American people from all cyber related threats.”
So, what exactly does that mean for the fan-favorite app? Is it going to be banned? Scroll through our gallery to uncover everything we know so far.
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