MIRIAM NNOLI 
TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, will on Monday, September 16 face off with the United States (US) Justice Department in a crucial legal battle in Washington DC.
New Telegraph reports that the company is pursuing to avert a likely ban on its popular video-sharing app, TikTok used by 170 million Americans.
A three-judge panel from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia will hear oral arguments on whether TikTok should be forced to divest its US assets or face a nationwide ban by January 19.
TikTok and ByteDance claim that the law is unconstitutional and infringes on Americans’ free speech rights, marking a “radical departure from this country’s tradition of championing an open internet.”
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Both parties have requested a ruling by December 6, potentially allowing the US Supreme Court to consider an appeal before the proposed ban takes effect.
The White House aims to end TikTok’s Chinese-based ownership in the interest of national security.
As TikTok’s legal team prepares to argue its case, the stakes remain high for the platform’s millions of US users and ByteDance’s global business.
