The two major political parties, Republicans and Democrats, have invested significant amounts of money into creating content for TikTok during this election year. However, there is a possibility that the app may not be available in the US for the next election cycle or even for President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration in January. This is due to the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, signed by President Biden in April, which requires TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance, to sell to a US-based owner by January 19, 2025. The deadline can be extended by the president for an additional 90 days. A federal appeals court is expected to decide tomorrow whether to uphold the law or not. This decision will determine if TikTok’s fate will be in the hands of the Trump administration or if the ban will be struck down. Currently, there are two obstacles in the way of the ban going into effect: the deadline and a lawsuit filed by TikTok against the US government for violating free speech protections. We are eagerly awaiting the court’s decision this week.
