TikTok sues US government over forced sale or ban
TikTok has sued the U.S. government over a new law that would force the company to sell the popular social media app or be blocked in the U.S.
TikTok’s lawyers have stressed in their complaint that the U.S. government’s bill constitutes excessive interference with free speech rights and a clear violation of the First Amendment.
The outcome of this lawsuit, which concerns national security and freedom of speech, will likely be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.
They argue that implementing this law will cut off access for millions of American users who use this app to share opinions and communications.
According to TikTok’s argument, the mandated change of the company’s Chinese ownership, as sought by the U.S., is “simply not feasible,” especially within the limited nine-month timeframe set for this process.
In a section of TikTok’s 67-page lawsuit, it is emphasized that the U.S. Congress has enacted a law that, for the first time in history, permanently and nationwide bans a platform with free speech features.
TikTok is now facing a fight for its survival in the United States in the coming months, having been the target of criticism from politicians in the country in recent years.
Various party activists have repeatedly expressed concerns about the security risks posed by this Chinese social media giant’s operations.
TikTok executives believe that blocking this platform will violate the free speech of millions of Americans and harm small businesses that depend on this social network.
TikTok has 170 million monthly users in the United States who use it for various purposes, including sharing dance videos or posting political commentary.
TikTok filed the lawsuit in the United States Court of Appeals in California one day after Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of the company, and his wife attended the annual Met Gala in New York.
Less than two weeks ago, Joe Biden, the President of the United States, signed a bill requiring ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, to divest its stake in the platform within nine months.
Failure to comply with this ultimatum will result in TikTok being blocked in the United States on January 19, 2025.
In response to this bill, ByteDance executives have emphasized that they do not intend to sell the company.
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