TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, have filed a lawsuit challenging a new American law that would ban the popular video-sharing app in the U.S. unless it’s sold to an approved buyer. The lawsuit argues that the law unfairly singles out TikTok and is an unprecedented attack on free speech.
ByteDance claims that the new law paints its ownership of TikTok as a national security threat without any evidence to support such claims. The company asserts that the law is unconstitutional and aims to regulate TikTok’s ownership under the guise of national security concerns.
The law, signed by President Joe Biden as part of a foreign aid package, marks the first time the U.S. has targeted a social media company for a potential ban. This move has raised concerns among free speech advocates, who liken it to actions taken by repressive regimes.
If TikTok fails to comply with the law, it faces the possibility of shutting down next year. The law requires ByteDance to sell the platform to a U.S.-approved buyer within nine months, a process that ByteDance has indicated it does not plan to undertake. Additionally, the Chinese government’s involvement in the divestment process adds another layer of complexity to the situation.
The lawsuit filed by TikTok and ByteDance argues that the law leaves them with no choice but to shut down, as continuing to operate in the U.S. would be commercially, technologically, and legally unfeasible. The companies also claim that divesting TikTok as a separate entity would be a technological impossibility.
The legal battle over TikTok’s future in the U.S. is expected to be protracted and could potentially reach the Supreme Court. The outcome of this case will have significant implications for the future of social media regulation and free speech rights in the country.