US court rejects TikTok's bid to pause law that could lead to app ban

New Delhi: A US federal appeals court has denied TikTok's emergency request to temporarily halt a law that could result in the app being banned in the United States. 

The decision means TikTok must move swiftly to appeal to the Supreme Court or face a ban unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divests its ownership by January 19, 2025.

The law in question requires ByteDance to sell TikTok to a non-Chinese entity or face exclusion from US app stores and web hosting services, citing national security concerns over data privacy and potential foreign influence.

TikTok argued that the law infringes on the First Amendment rights of its 170 million US users, but the court found no precedent for granting such a delay while further review is sought.

TikTok has expressed plans to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, maintaining that they have robust data protection measures in place and that the ban would disrupt one of America's most popular platforms for free expression.