TikTok Defends Against U.S. Ban with First Amendment and 'Kill Switch' Offer

TikTok revealed it offered the US government a "kill switch" in 2022 to address data protection and national security concerns, allowing the government to shut down the platform if it violated certain rules. This disclosure comes as TikTok and its parent company ByteDance challenge legislation that mandates the app's sale or ban in the US. The US government has not engaged in serious settlement talks since the offer, and the legislation, driven by fears of data sharing with China, is set to take effect unless ByteDance divests TikTok's US assets by January next year.