TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance have initiated legal proceedings in U.S. federal court to challenge a law enacted by President Joe Biden.
This law mandates ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban, prompting the companies to argue that the law violates constitutional rights, specifically First Amendment protections.
They contend that the required divestiture is not feasible due to commercial, technological, and legal constraints, asserting that it would effectively silence the platform’s 170 million American users.
The White House has emphasized national security concerns related to Chinese ownership of TikTok but has refrained from advocating for a ban.
The lawsuit reflects ongoing efforts by TikTok to resist potential shutdowns amid competition from other tech companies seeking to capitalize on TikTok’s uncertain political status for advertising revenue.
The legal dispute underscores broader tensions between the U.S. and China over internet and technology issues.
