TikTok slams President Trump's Executive Order, threatens legal action

TikTok has issued a statement fervently criticizing a recent Executive Order that could see its App banned in the United States.

In a recent post TikTok stated:

We are shocked by the recent Executive Order, which was issued without any due process. For nearly a year, we have sought to engage with the US government in good faith to provide a constructive solution to the concerns that have been expressed. What we encountered instead was that the Administration paid no attention to facts, dictated terms of an agreement without going through standard legal processes, and tried to insert itself into negotiations between private businesses.

TikTok said that there has been no due process or adherence to law on the matter and that the text of the order "makes it plain" that there has been a reliance on "unnamed 'reports' with no citations." TikTok reiterated it had never shared user data with the Chinese government or censored content at its request. It also pointed to its Transparency Center, "a level of accountability no peer company has committed too."

TikTok stated:

This Executive Order risks undermining global businesses' trust in the United States' commitment to the rule of law, which has served as a magnet for investment and spurred decades of American economic growth. And it sets a dangerous precedent for the concept of free expression and open markets. We will pursue all remedies available to us in order to ensure that the rule of law is not discarded and that our company and our users are treated fairly – if not by the Administration, then by the US courts.

Clearly, TikTok is eyeing up all recourse including legal action against President Trump's administration to fight the order. TikTok is, of course, currently in the process of trying to strike an acquisition deal between Microsoft and parent-company ByteDance. The ban will take effect in 45 days.