Angela Lang / CNET
TikTok confirmed on Saturday that it plans to sue the Trump administration over an executive order that would effectively ban the app in the U.S., adding that legal action is expected this week.
"To ensure that the rule of law is not abandoned and that our company and our users are treated fairly, we have no choice but to challenge the executive order on the judicial system," TikTok said in a statement sent via email.
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Citing national security fears, Trump issued an order on Aug. 6 banning transactions with TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance - a Chinese company - or its subsidiaries. The order should go into effect 45 days after it was placed unless TikTok found a US buyer for its US operations. Trump later doubled that time frame in a sequential order from Aug. 14.
Continue reading: Trump Issues a New Order To Force TikTok Sale: What You Need To Know
Trump and others say they are concerned that the hugely popular video app is collecting data about its users and, according to these critics, could be forced by the Chinese Communist government to share that information. TikTok has repeatedly said the fears are unfounded.
If the transaction ban went into effect, it would likely mean Apple and Google would no longer be able to list the app in their respective app stores, much like they did with the ban on US companies dealing with Huawei.
However, a TikTok sale could happen. Microsoft announced earlier this month that it was pursuing a deal for TikTok's operations in the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Other companies, including Apple, Twitter, and Oracle, are also reportedly interested, although it is unclear how seriously they might take an agreement.
"Although we disagree with the government's concerns at all, we have been striving to find a constructive solution in good faith for almost a year," TikTok said in a statement on Saturday. "Instead, we encountered a lack of due process as the administration ignored the facts and tried to get involved in negotiations between private companies."
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
