Source : NEW INDIAN EXPRESS NEWS
“That seems like a huge concern for the future of the country,” said Kavanaugh, whose daughters are in that age range.
Roberts downplayed Fisher’s argument that banning TikTok violates American users’ free speech rights. “Congress is fine with the expression,” Roberts said. “They’re not fine with a foreign adversary, as they’ve determined it is, gathering all this information about the 170 million people who use TikTok.”
The justices are expected to act within days, almost certainly ahead of the Jan. 19 deadline.
Content creators and small business owners who rely on the app are awaiting a decision with anxiety.
“There’s really no replacement for this app,” said Skip Chapman, co-owner of KAFX Body in Manasquan, N.J., a maker and seller of natural deodorants. Chapman said more than 80% of his sales come on TikTok and he has not found the same traction on Amazon or other platforms.
Lee Zavorskas, a TikTok creator and a licensed esthetician based in New Hampshire, said she makes nearly half of her income on the platform by promoting products for other businesses. Zavorskas said she found it too stressful to listen to Friday’s arguments. Instead, she spent her time building a YouTube channel.
ByteDance has said it won’t sell the short-form video platform. But some investors have been eyeing it, including Trump’s Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchi n and billionaire businessman Frank McCourt. On Thursday, McCourt’s Project Liberty initiative said it, along with its unnamed partners, presented a proposal to ByteDance to acquire TikTok’s U.S. assets. The consortium, which includes “Shark Tank” host Kevin O’Leary, did not disclose the financial terms of the offer.
If TikTok isn’t sold to an approved buyer, the federal law would prohibit app stores, such as those operated by Apple and Google, from offering the popular app. It would also bar internet hosting services from hosting TikTok.
SOURCE :- NEW INDIAN EXPRESS
