TikTok, the immensely popular social video-sharing platform, has launched a legal challenge against the United States government over a recently enacted law that seeks to force its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest its ownership within a nine-month timeframe or face a nationwide ban.
The lawsuit, filed jointly by TikTok and ByteDance in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, alleges that the legislation violates the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech.
Signed into law by President Joe Biden on April 24th, the act grants ByteDance until January 19th, 2025, to relinquish control of TikTok to another entity or risk the app’s prohibition across the United States.
The measure stems from concerns among American politicians regarding potential data privacy threats and the possibility of Chinese authorities exploiting the platform for espionage purposes.
In its legal challenge, TikTok vehemently denies ever sharing or intending to share US user data with Chinese authorities, dismissing the allegations as “speculative.”
The lawsuit argues the act represents an “unprecedented violation” of the First Amendment, asserting “Congress has enacted a law that subjects a single, named speech platform to a permanent, nationwide ban, and bars every American from participating in a unique online community with more than one billion people worldwide.”
The filing contends the act “will force a shutdown of TikTok by January 19th, 2025, silencing the 170 million Americans who use the platform.”
TikTok maintains invoking national security concerns does not justify curtailing free speech, and the burden rests on the federal government to substantiate the necessity of such a restriction.
ByteDance has stated it has no intention of divesting its ownership of TikTok. However, it would require Beijing’s approval, which has previously opposed a forced sale.
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