TikTok Sues US Government, Says Selling App is Not Feasible
Summary from the AllSides News Team
TikTok sued the federal government in response to a bill that could ban the popular video app in the United States.
For Context: Last month, President Joe Biden signed a bill giving TikTok owner ByteDance nine months to divest from the popular social media app. If this does not happen, TikTok would be banned from U.S. app stores. Biden has the option to extend the deadline by another three months if a deal is close. The bill was passed in Congress with bipartisan support as lawmakers from both sides of the aisle expressed fear of the Chinese government’s potential to influence young Americans, who use the app in large numbers. Previous efforts to ban TikTok at the federal and state levels have failed, with judges ruling that a ban would be a violation of the First Amendment.
Key Quote: In the lawsuit filing, the company states, “For the first time in history, 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. There is no question: The act will force a shutdown of TikTok by Jan. 19, 2025, silencing the 170 million Americans who use the platform to communicate in ways that cannot be replicated elsewhere.”
How the Media Covered It: Outlets reported that the lawsuit is expected to delay the deadline for a sale and will most likely reach the Supreme Court.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
TikTok Sues U.S. Government Over Law Forcing Sale or Ban
TikTok sued the federal government on Tuesday over a new law that would force its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the popular social media app or face a ban in the United States, stoking a battle over national security and free speech that is likely to end up in the Supreme Court.
TikTok said the law violated the First Amendment by effectively removing an app that millions of Americans use to share their views and communicate freely. It also argued that a divestiture was “simply not possible,” especially within the...
From the Center
TikTok Sues to Block U.S. Ban: Read the Lawsuit
TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday seeking to block the newly passed law that would ban the popular social media app in the U.S. unless its Chinese owner sells it.
The suit, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, argues the law is a violation of Americans' First Amendment right to free speech. It also claims the provision that requires ByteDance to divest its ownership of TikTok's U.S. operation within nine months is not "commercially, technologically, or legally feasible."
The...
From the Right
TikTok sues to block new forced divestment law, claiming First Amendment violation
Video-sharing platform TikTok is suing the United States government, claiming a new law that forces its divestment from its Chinese owners violates the First Amendment.
It was expected that TikTok would challenge the law in court, and on Tuesday, the company filed a lawsuit with a federal appeals court in Washington.
President Joe Biden recently signed into law a bill, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, that would ban the platform if Chinese tech firm ByteDance fails to divest from the popular short video app over the...
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