The Chinese parent firm of video app TikTok has taken legal action in an effort to halt a US law that would ban the service in the US unless it is sold.
The social media platform characterized the legislation as a “extraordinary intrusion on free speech rights” of over 170 million users in the United States, according to the filing. The US had presented only “speculative concerns” to support the measure, according to TikTok, who urged the court to block it.
With reasons related to national security, President Joe Biden enacted the measure last month. There had been years of discussion in Washington leading up to this decision, with some worried that the Chinese government could access user data from the United States if they owned TikTok. Others worried that the data could be used for propaganda.
Despite government interference, TikTok has remained independent, and ByteDance, the firm that owns it, has said it has no intention of selling. Opposing the sale, the Chinese government has denounced the law, calling it US “bullying” of an international enterprise.
Unless parent firm ByteDance finds a buyer, app shops in the US would be forbidden from distributing TikTok starting in January 2025 under US law. If President Biden’s negotiations succeed, he has the option to extend the deadline by 90 days.
According to TikTok’s lawsuit, the sale requirement is both unreasonable and unjust, and the rule unfairly singles out TikTok while establishing a “two-tiered speech regime.” The business emphasized its attempts to allay US fears regarding data security and contended that the state had no business dictating who may own online discussion groups.
Some legislators and experts are dubious about TikTok’s investments and litigation, while others are worried about how the law would affect free expression. Although people have different views, the lawsuit does nothing to alleviate the tensions that already exist between the US and China, especially when it comes to tech companies.
Furthermore, Tuesday saw confirmation from the US Department of Commerce that export licenses to Chinese telecommunications behemoth Huawei had been revoked. Concerns over Huawei’s links to the Chinese military prompted these restrictions, which limited shipments to the company in 2019.
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