TikTok says Congress lacks evidence that the app is a threat to national security or a tool to spread propaganda|@KeepTikTok|X
TikTok sued the US yesterday to block a law that forces its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the app or face a nationwide ban.
Calling the bipartisan measure that was signed by President Joe Biden “unconstitutional,” in the lawsuit, TikTok argues the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act infringes on US citizens’ right to free expression under the First Amendment.
The suit further adds that ByteDance’s divestment from the app is “simply not possible,” Tuesday’s petition said, “not commercially, not technologically, not legally.”
And even if an American buyer is found, the Chinese government wouldn’t accept the deal, citing restrictions on trade secrets.
The social media says Congress lacks evidence that the app is a threat to national security or a tool to spread propaganda.
TikTok has around 170 million users in the country, and lawmakers from both parties believe that the Chinese government could get hold of the consumers’ data.
But TikTok maintains the potential US ban could devastate 7 million businesses and shutter a social media that contributes $24 billion to the economy annually.
Legal experts say the lawsuit will likely drag the ban deadline to 2026.