TikTok to Launch Legal Action Against Donald Trump over Ban

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(Photo Courtesy: TikTok logo/The Quint)

Chinese video-making app TikTok is set to take legal action against US President Donald Trump over a ban on the app imposed by him. On 6 August, Trump had signed an executive order giving Americans 45 days to stop doing business with TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance.

TikTok has nearly 80 million monthly active users in the US, with many relying on the platform to build a career on social media.

TikTok says it has tried to engage with the administration for nearly a year but has encountered a lack of due process.

“Even though we strongly disagree with the administration’s concerns, for nearly a year we have sought to engage in good faith to provide a constructive solution,” TikTok said in a statement.

The firm's US job growth has already nearly tripled this year, surging from almost 500 employees on 1 January to just under 1,400. The US government ban on TikTok came following the concerns expressed by US officials that information on users could be passed on to China's government.

“What we encountered instead was a lack of due process as the administration paid no attention to facts and tried to insert itself into negotiations between private businesses,” it added.

“To ensure that the rule of law is not discarded and that our company and users are treated fairly, we have no choice but to challenge the executive order through the judicial system,” a statement by the company read.