TikTok plans to sue Trump administration over US ban

TikTok plans to sue the Trump administration over its executive order banning transactions between U.S. companies and the popular video-sharing app as well as its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. 

“Even though we strongly disagree with the Administration’s concerns, for nearly a year we have sought to engage in good faith to provide a constructive solution,” a TikTok spokesperson told The Hill. 

“What we encountered instead was a lack of due process as the Administration paid no attention to facts and tried to insert itself into negotiations between private businesses,” the spokesperson continued.

“To ensure that the rule of law is not discarded and that our company and users are treated fairly, we have no choice but to challenge the Executive Order through the judicial system,” the spokesperson added. 

The move is the latest in the back-and-forth between the Trump administration and TikTok.

President Trump has put pressure on the company through a series of executive orders amid concerns that the popular app is misusing data from U.S. users, sharing the information with the Chinese Communist Party.  

However, TikTok has maintained that its American data is housed in the U.S. 

Trump signed the executive order on Aug. 6. It bars any transactions between U.S. companies and ByteDance after Sept. 20 and essentially puts pressure on ByteDance to divest from TikTok or face a ban from operating in the United States.

A separate order issued on Aug. 14 gave ByteDance 90 days to divest from the U.S. operations of TikTok.

Earlier this month, Microsoft emerged as the favorite to purchase the company’s U.S. operations. Microsoft and TikTok both confirmed at the time that negotiations are ongoing. However, on Tuesday, Trump voiced support for a deal between TikTok and Oracle.