TikTok sues US government over ban

TikTok is suing the US government over the new law that would force the divestment of the short-form video app from its China-based parent company ByteDance or face a ban in the US. In a court case filed on Tuesday, TikTok says Congress “took the unprecedented step of singling out and expressly banning TikTok” and calls the move “unconstitutional.”

The complaint argues that the sale of ByteDance is not possible and that the law would “force closure” by January 19, 2025.

“For the first time in history, Congress has enacted a law that subjects a single named speech platform to a permanent national ban and prohibits all Americans from participating in a unique online community of more than 1 billion people around the world,” says the lawsuit. read.

Last month, President Joe Biden signed a law giving ByteDance nine months to divest TikTok or cease operations in the US, citing national security concerns. However, the complaint alleges that the government has yet to provide evidence of the Chinese government’s misuse of TikTok.

“Even statements from individual members of Congress and a congressional committee report only indicate concern about the hypothetical possibility that TikTok could be misused in the future, without citing specific evidence – even though the platform has operated prominently in the United States since which was first released. launched in 2017,” the lawsuit states.

TikTok argues that a US ban would not be viable as it would force TikTok to transfer “millions of lines” of software code from ByteDance to a new owner. It adds that the limitations of the Chinese government would not allow the sale of TikTok with its algorithm. TikTok claims that the ban would make the American version of its app an “island” that would provide Americans with a “separate experience” from the rest of its users, while also harming its business.

TikTok is asking the court to hand down a ruling that the Biden administration’s law violates the US Constitution. He also wants an order preventing the attorney general from enforcing the law.