TikTok’s battle for survival in the US

The social-media app TikTok is “battling for its survival” in the US, say Sapna Maheshwari and David McCabe in The New York Times. The app’s owner, Chinabased ByteDance, is suing the federal government in an attempt to block legislation that would force it to sell TikTok or face a ban. ByteDance argues that the law violates the right to free speech by “effectively removing an app that millions of Americans use to share their views and communicate freely”. Supporters of the legislation say that the app is a “national security threat” as the Chinese government “could lean on ByteDance” to turn over sensitive data on TikToks’ users, “or use the app to spread propaganda”. That’s the pretext, but many prominent supporters of the ban, such as senator Mitt Romney (pictured), have admitted they dislike TikTok because they believe videos posted on it are fuelling “the growing backlash against the Israel-Gaza war”, says Seth Stern in The Guardian.

The legislation is not limited to its initial target either, but “opens the door for future bans of other platforms” simply on the say of the president.

The stated security concerns are valid, says the Lex column in the Financial Times, and the legislation is consistent with prior action from US regulators. Still, it’s hard not to see this as a sign that “the global internet is splintering further apart”. Other countries are also “attempting to use specific bans and connection blocks to wall off users”. India has banned TikTok over privacy and security concerns, and China has done the same with WhatsApp. The US action against TikTok is unlikely to be a “one-off”.