- Last-ditch attempts to halt the ban
- Concerns about small businesses and freedom of speech
- One petition has amassed over 380,000 signatures
More than 170 million Americans look set to lose access to TikTok after the Supreme Court rejected free speech appeals and upheld its ruling.
US officials banned the app over concerns about data privacy and its ties to the Chinese government. Congress forced TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell its stake in the app or be cut off from the US market.
ByteDance was given a deadline of 19 Jan – one day before Donald Trump takes office as the new president – but with the deadline looming, there is no sign of a sale.
Whilst the Supreme Court has reached its final decision – judges voted 9-0 in favor of the ban – President Biden has said he will not enforce the ban for the few remaining hours he is in office.
The fate of TikTok will effectively lie with Trump, who takes office on 20 January.
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In the meantime though, The White House has released the following statement:
“TikTok should remain available to Americans, but simply under American ownership or other ownership that addresses the national security concerns identified by Congress in developing this law.”
TikTok ban will put livelihoods at stake
The TikTok ban will affect many groups whose livelihoods depend on the app. Small business and content creators will be bracing themselves for the impact of the ban.
Jessica Simon, the founder of Mississippi Candle Company, told CBS News that between 90% and 98% of her company’s sales come either directly or indirectly from TikTok.
“That much of our business comes from people seeing our products on TikTok and buying it through our TikTok shop, or coming to our website. I am still processing the news.”
Read more: What does the TikTok ban mean for users?
It’s not just small businesses who are likely to suffer, as cultural communities built through the app will struggle to maintain its social connections following a ban.
TikTok staff working in the US could also face uncertainty about the future of their jobs.
Petitions to stop the ban from happening
Petitions have started to pop up in support of stopping the ban.
California Democratic Representative Ro Khanna has been a consistent vocal supporter of TikTok. He launched a petition to save TikTok from the ban and told Newsweek:
“My petition opposing the TikTok ban has over 480,000 signatures in less than 24 hours. It shows how deeply concerned Americans are about their small businesses, livelihoods, and free speech being taken away. The pressure is working. We must stand up for the 170 million Americans on the app and stop the ban.”
Several other petitions are appearing on change.org, with one garnering over 380,000 signatures, with one user writing:
“We don’t need Government Officials telling us what is “good or bad” for us. We live in a Democracy and The People are telling you that WE Want OUR TikTok!!!”
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has also stressed its concerns over the ban:
“Banning TikTok is unprecedented, unconstitutional, and un-American. If the Supreme Court allows the government to shut down an entire platform on such a flimsy evidentiary record, it would set a disturbing precedent for future government restrictions on online speech.”It has also launched a petition where you can send a message to your senators urging them to protect free speech and vote against any legislation that would effectively ban TikTok.
