In 2022, to avoid a ban in the US, TikTok proposed a solution called ‘Kill Switch’ to the US government. This proposal would allow the US government to shut down the TikTok application if any data protection and national security violations were detected. However, the US government did not receive TikTok’s proposal, and further negotiations were not pursued.
TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, have been in legal battles with the US government over a new law requiring them to sell their assets in the US or face a nationwide ban. TikTok has argued that the law is unconstitutional and sets a dangerous precedent for the development of an open internet environment.
The legal battle between TikTok and the US government is expected to continue intensely, with a debate session scheduled in the Court of Appeal next September. Meanwhile, ByteDance is testing new products like the private photo-sharing application Whee, indicating the company’s ambition to expand its influence in the social network market.
