TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, have filed a lawsuit against the US federal government over a law requiring ByteDance to sell its stake in TikTok or face a ban. The legal action, initiated on Tuesday, suggests a potential lengthy legal dispute concerning TikTok’s future in the United States. The law, embedded in President Joe Biden’s approval of a $95 billion foreign aid package, is challenged by TikTok as a violation of the First Amendment.
The lawsuit argues that the law is unprecedented and unconstitutional, branding it as a permanent nationwide ban on a specific speech platform. TikTok contends that the law fails to provide sufficient justification for restricting freedom of speech and has not adequately demonstrated the necessity of such measures for national security. The lawsuit aims to halt the ban or sale process and prolong the timeline through legal proceedings.
This legal development marks the latest chapter in the US government’s ongoing efforts to regulate TikTok. The lawsuit disputes Congress’s lack of evidence regarding data security risks posed by TikTok and contends that the law violates both the First and Fifth Amendments. TikTok asserts that the law’s provisions effectively amount to a ban, as ByteDance’s purported option to divest is deemed impractical within the mandated timeframe.
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