USA / TikTok sues Trump govt over app ban, asks Facebook for support

Washington: TikTok is pushing back against the Trump administration's order banning the app, saying it plans to continue to fight the order in court.

Wilbur Ross, President Donald Trump's commerce secretary, on Friday ordered TikTok to be banned from US app stores starting Sunday, and to be prohibited from all US servers starting in November. A potential deal with a US company may save the company from the ban, with Ross saying restrictions may be lifted if "the national security concerns posed by TikTok [are] resolved." WeChat, another Chinese tech company targeted in the Commerce Department's order, will have all bans in effect starting Sunday, with no apparent course for preservation.

In a statement to Business Insider, a TikTok spokesperson said the company plans to continue litigation and will fight the Trump administration to remain in the US. TikTok first sued the government in August over the proposed ban.

Careful with this headline, the ban is only of *new downloads* of TikTok, an outright ban will happen on 11/12 unless a deal is made.

I’ve said this before, but a US TikTok ban would be quite bad for Instagram, Facebook, and the internet more broadly. https://t.co/2tPPgAkI4K

— Adam Mosseri 😷 (@mosseri) September 18, 2020

"We will continue to challenge the unjust executive order, which was enacted without due process," TikTok said.

TikTok's interim CEO, Vanessa Pappas, also took to Twitter to ask other tech companies to support TikTok's litigation, calling the ban "bad for the industry" in response to a tweet from Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri.

Here's TikTok's full statement in response to the Trump administration's announcement Friday:

"We disagree with the decision from the Commerce Department, and are disappointed that it stands to block new app downloads from Sunday and ban use of the TikTok app in the US from November 12. Our community of 100 million U.S. users love TikTok because it's a home for entertainment, self-expression, and connection, and we're committed to protecting their privacy and safety as we continue working to bring joy to families and meaningful careers to those who create on our platform.

In our proposal to the U.S. Administration, we've already committed to unprecedented levels of additional transparency and accountability well beyond what other apps are willing to do, including third-party audits, verification of code security, and U.S. government oversight of U.S. data security. Further, an American technology provider would be responsible for maintaining and operating the TikTok network in the U.S., which would include all services and data serving US consumers. We will continue to challenge the unjust executive order, which was enacted without due process and threatens to deprive the American people and small businesses across the US of a significant platform for both a voice and livelihoods."