The companies have requested an appeals court to temporarily halt the law that would implement a ban on the app in the United States.
China-based ByteDance and its short-video app TikTok have filed an emergency motion with the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to block a law that would require ByteDance to divest TikTok by January 19 or face a ban. The companies argue that this law will shut down TikTok for its millions of domestic users right before a presidential inauguration.
Without the injunction, TikTok could face a ban within six weeks, impacting its value and affecting businesses that rely on TikTok for sales.
On Friday, a three-judge panel of the appeals court upheld the law requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok in the US by early next year or face a ban in just six weeks.
The companies believe there is a high chance that the Supreme Court will review and reverse the case, hence they are seeking a temporary pause to allow time for further deliberation.
The US Department of Justice is urging the appeals court to quickly deny the request to expedite the Supreme Court’s consideration.
TikTok has requested the appeals court to make a decision on the request by December 16.
Trump ‘wants to save TikTok’
The fate of TikTok now rests on President Joe Biden and potentially President Trump, who has shown interest in saving the app despite previous attempts to ban it.
The court ruling upholds a law giving the US government power to ban foreign-owned apps that raise data collection concerns, similar to the ban attempted on WeChat in 2020.
TikTok has warned that the court ruling could disrupt services for millions of users outside the US as well.
The company has enlisted the help of Noel Francisco, a seasoned US Supreme Court lawyer, to represent them in their Supreme Court appeal.
