"We are not going anywhere," - TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew anticipates overcoming the threat of a US ban.

• Shou Zi Chew, chief executive of the popular app, says the platform will continue to operate as it challenges the new legislation in court

• Meanwhile, TikTok Lite has suspended its rewards for views programme amid an EU investigation into addiction risks for users.

TikTok's CEO, Shou Zi Chew. (Gety Images)

On Wednesday, TikTok's CEO stated that the company is confident in its ability to prevail in a legal battle against legislation signed into effect by US President Joe Biden. This legislation aims to prohibit the widely-used short video app, which boasts 170 million American users.

“Rest assured – we aren’t going anywhere,” CEO Shou Zi Chew said in a video posted moments after Biden signed the bill that gives China-based ByteDance 270 days to divest TikTok’s US assets or face a ban. “The facts and the Constitution are on our side and we expect to prevail again.”

Biden's action establishes a deadline of January 19, just before his term ends, for ByteDance to sell TikTok. However, he reserves the option to extend this deadline by three months if he observes progress from ByteDance. Biden is currently running for reelection against former US president Donald Trump.

In 2020, the courts thwarted Trump's attempts to ban TikTok and the Chinese-owned messaging app WeChat, operated by Tencent, in the United States.

Chew added: “Make no mistake – this is a ban on TikTok.” He stressed that TikTok will persist in its operations while the company contests the imposed limitations.

Amidst concerns among US lawmakers regarding potential Chinese access to American data or surveillance via the app, the bill was overwhelmingly approved by the US Senate late on Tuesday. The US House of Representatives followed suit by endorsing it on Saturday.

The ongoing four-year conflict surrounding TikTok represents a significant battleground in the broader struggle over internet and technology dominance between Washington and Beijing. Just last week, Apple revealed that China had mandated the removal of Meta Platforms' WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in response to Chinese national security apprehensions.

TikTok intends to challenge the bill based on First Amendment principles, and it's anticipated that TikTok users will once again pursue legal action. Notably, a US judge in Montana blocked a state-level TikTok ban in November, citing concerns related to freedom of speech.

The American Civil Liberties Union cautioned that banning TikTok or mandating its divestiture would establish a troubling global precedent, signaling excessive government control over social media platforms.

However, the new legislation is likely to give the Biden administration a stronger legal footing to ban TikTok if ByteDance fails to divest the app, experts say.

If ByteDance failed to divest TikTok, app stores operated by Apple, Alphabet’s Google and others could not legally offer TikTok or provide Web hosting services to ByteDance-controlled applications or TikTok’s website.

The bill would also give the White House new tools to ban or force the sale of other foreign-owned apps it deems to be security threats.

Ron Wyden, Democratic Senator. (Getty Images)

Democratic Senator Ron Wyden expressed apprehension about the bill, stating his concern that it "grants broad authority that could potentially be misused by a future administration to infringe upon Americans' First Amendment rights."

On Monday, Trump asserted that President Joe Biden was advocating for a TikTok ban and would bear responsibility if such a ban were enforced, urging voters to take note.

A campaign official from Biden's reelection campaign confirmed on Wednesday that they intend to continue utilizing TikTok, while Trump's campaign has not engaged with the platform.

TikTok is also facing pressure in Europe. On Wednesday, it announced the suspension of a feature in its TikTok Lite app in France and Spain, which rewards users for watching and liking videos, following a probe by the European Union. TikTok stated that the suspension will remain in effect "while we address the concerns they have raised."

TikTok Lite is a scaled-down version of the main TikTok app, designed to consume less memory and operate efficiently on slower internet connections. It was launched in France and Spain in March, where users aged 18 and above can earn points through the app's rewards program to redeem for items like vouchers or gift cards.

Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for Internal Market (Getty Images)

On Monday, the European Commission disclosed an inquiry into TikTok Lite and issued a warning of potential suspension of its rewards program, citing concerns over the impact on users' mental well-being.

The commission stipulated that TikTok must furnish additional details and a defense against the proposed suspension by a Wednesday deadline.

Thierry Breton, the commission's chief overseer of technology, affirmed the continuation of the EU investigation, emphasizing, "Our children should not serve as experimental subjects for social media."

"We suspect that this rewards feature could lead to addiction and that TikTok failed to conduct a thorough risk assessment and implement adequate precautionary measures before its introduction," he stated.

Source : Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and South Chinese Morning Post (SCMP)