A federal appeals court has rejected TikTok's bid to overturn a law that could lead to its ban or forced sale in the United States by early 2025.
The social media giant, which boasts 170 million US users, had argued that the law was unconstitutional and would have a "staggering" impact on free speech.
The court, however, upheld the legislation, stating it "was the culmination of extensive, bipartisan action by the Congress and by successive presidents."
The ruling emphasized that the law was "carefully crafted to deal only with control by a foreign adversary" and part of a broader effort to counter national security threats posed by China.
TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has consistently denied links to the Chinese state. Despite this, US officials have expressed concerns about the potential misuse of user data by Chinese authorities.
In response to the ruling, TikTok announced its intention to appeal to the US Supreme Court.