(Yicai) April 25 -- TikTok said it will challenge in court an “unconstitutional law” that could either force a sale of the social media platform by its Chinese parent company or see it banned in the United States.

The legislation, passed by the US House of Representatives last month, was signed into law by President Joe Biden yesterday.

“This unconstitutional law is a TikTok ban, and we will challenge it in court,” the firm, which is headquartered in Los Angeles and Singapore, said yesterday. “We believe the facts and the law are clearly on our side, and we will ultimately prevail.”

The law, known as the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, enables the US president to designate certain social media apps controlled by foreign adversaries as national security risks.

It specifically mentions TikTok, requiring Beijing-based ByteDance to sell the platform within nine months or face a ban. Biden has the right to extend the time limit by 90 days if progress is being made in the sale.

“We have invested billions of dollars to keep US data safe and our platform free from outside influence and manipulation,” TikTok added. “This ban would devastate seven million businesses and silence 170 million Americans.

“As we continue to challenge this unconstitutional ban, we will continue investing and innovating to ensure TikTok remains a space where Americans of all walks of life can safely come to share their experiences, find joy, and be inspired,” it said.

Editor: Tom Litting